My first week working as a trainee with EcoNorth was many things: challenging, interesting, tiring, fast-paced. The one thing it was not – boring. After being introduced to my colleagues and some of the current projects, I was sent out to assist with a breeding bird check at a demolition site. Although most of my prior experience is ornithology related, I found that afternoon to be a great introduction to a new set of skills I had never previously considered.
The next day, I found myself working as clerk of works, alongside colleagues on another demolition site, which gave me the opportunity to practice and solidify my learning from the previous day. Working on site also gave me the novel experiences of crawling through an attic looking for signs of bats and nesting birds, and being on a cherry picker.
On Wednesday, I spent the day at the office completing induction tasks and being introduced to MapInfo, our GIS software.
Thursday and Friday saw me assisting Principal Ecologist John with a common bird census. As a keen birdwatcher, it was nice to be back in my element after a few days of being a little out of my depth. Being out and about early in the morning is always a fun and interesting way of beginning a day, especially when you’re doing something you’re passionate about.
If my first week was an indicator of what working at EcoNorth has to offer, I hope I’m fortunate enough to be here for a long time to come.
By Josh Havlin, Trainee Assistant Ecologist