As part of our ‘Meet the Team’ blog series, hear personally from our team members about their roles at EcoNorth and more. Today, meet Sarah Barlow, one of our Senior Ecologists.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am a plant ecologist specialising in rare plant species, habitat restoration, plant-invertebrate interactions and ecological data analysis. Prior to joining EcoNorth in October 2023, I worked as a research ecologist for Newcastle University, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Red Butte Garden, University of Utah, and led many plant conservation research projects in the UK and abroad. As a result of my scientific work, I have been fortunate to travel to remote and wild locations which is something that I thoroughly enjoy.
Summarise your role at EcoNorth
I am a Senior Ecologist specialising in habitat surveys and management.
What got you into ecology?
A love of the outdoors since I was young and a curiosity for the natural world. I developed a particular interest in botany and restoration ecology whilst at university studying Environmental Biology and was inspired by my lecturer’s research. This led to me to a PhD in grassland ecology and an international research career.
What do you like most about working as an Ecological Consultant?
I enjoy many aspects of being a consultant, in particular the opportunities for varied and often multidisciplinary fieldwork; the buzz of working in a cohesive team environment; and the satisfaction of delivering projects to a high standard for clients.
Describe the project you have worked on that you are proudest of. What did you do that worked out particularly well?
In the first six months of working for EcoNorth I managed a project requiring landscape-scale habitat surveys throughout Cumbria to provide ground-truth data for the Natural England ‘Change Detection’ project. The CD project is using a machine learning approach to develop broad scale habitat maps derived from satellite imagery in England and, to test the model’s robustness, Natural England requires habitat data from sites where the habitat type is undergoing change or is likely to change in the near future due to natural or managed causes. My role was to plan the survey locations in 14 habitat types, secure access permissions, and co-ordinate habitat surveys at 560 points. I took a proactive approach to site selection and contacted site/project managers from a variety of conservation organisations to gain restoration and management information and GIS maps from which to identify suitable survey locations.
What do you see for the future?
Since the introduction of the Statutory Metric in February 2024, I expect a large part of my work will involve delivering habitat surveys, BNG assessments and habitat management and monitoring plans to clients.
Finally, what advice would you give to anyone starting out?
It’s a good idea to join your local Natural History Society or other local ecology clubs. Getting out into the field and learning from other naturalists and ecologists is a great way to gain experience and find your own niche. Look out for volunteering and internship opportunities. If you are interested in furthering your botany ID skills, the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) offer some fantastic and free online training videos.