Meet Assistant Ecologist, Philien Duchemin

Tell us a little bit about you and your job

I’m Philien and I’m an assistant ecologist. I started out at Biodiverse Consulting as a graduate ecologist, but I feel like my progression has been fast because I’m so driven by the passion I have for what I do. 

I really love looking after wildlife and ensuring nature is protected, while progression within developments goes ahead. A large part of my job is compiling reports about how ‘nature-friendly’ new developments are, and then advising our clients based on these reports, highlighting the key environmental regulations that affect the site and the habitat within it. 

I also spend a lot of time mentoring, as I’m the ornithology lead on the team. That means I support and nurture other members of the team to develop their skills in services like bird surveys so that we can do all we can to protect birds and nature in general.

What attributes do you think you need to be successful in this industry? 

First and foremost, I think you need a heart full of passion. I think you also need determination and initiative since you’re given guidance, but often you have to figure out solutions independently based on your knowledge and experience.

I think flexibility is also a big part of the job. We don’t tend to stick to a 9-5 schedule. I’m up from 4 am every day and then I finish at around 12 pm, to catch the optimum time for surveying birds, as this is when they’re most active. The other guys in the office often work from 9 am-2 pm if they are doing bat surveys, and then the rest of the evening.

A lot of this job is also becoming a sponge and soaking up as much information as you can. There’s always something to be discovered, so you have to be willing to learn.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There’s no such thing as a typical day, which is truly one of the best things about the job. You can have a set to-do list, and by the next day, it could all change. At the start of the surveying season, I didn’t know I’d be the ornithology lead, but now my days revolve around birds! It really can go from surveying birds to reptiles, to butterflies - there simply isn’t the chance to get bored.

Which projects stand out as highlights?

I’ve got too many! 

One that I’ve previously worked on is in the Blyth area, in the North East. We were working on a site in very close proximity to a designated site, doing bird surveys. We came across quite a lot of birds associated with the designated site, so it was really interesting when we came to do core counts. 

We found curlew (which is a species in nearly 50% decline), as well as turnstone, oystercatcher, and redshank, to name a few. We advised the client that for the protection of these birds, the site location needed to be reconsidered, which they did. That was a great feeling.

We’ve also been doing surveys for woodland creation schemes with The Forestry Commission. While creating habitat is a beneficial thing for many species, our surveys try to determine how breeding birds will be affected by this habitat creation, mainly the farmland and wader species.

Waders are ground-nesting birds, so our surveys are there to detect any waders in the field, and how they will be affected by woodland creation. I’ve got three of these on the go at the moment, and it feels great to know that we’re making a positive impact to many species of wader birds that can be anywhere from 25% - 50% in decline. 

What is the best part about working at Biodiverse Consulting? 

I think Biodiverse Consulting has a very unique culture and I also feel very involved in the growth of the company, which is refreshing.

Working under our founder, Vicki, is fantastic - she has huge amounts of experience and knowledge. She’s also looking to take the business in a really meaningful direction, so we’re not purely focused on residential projects, but work with a whole range of clients including landowners, environmental charities and statutory authorities. 

Also, we don’t get pigeon-holed into doing just one thing. If something needs to be done, you get the opportunity to try your hand at it, which means variety and continuous learning are guaranteed. 

Any advice you have for people who may be interested in being an ecologist? 

Volunteering is key. Also, learning your identification skills is super important. Learn your bats, birds and newts. 

I think botany is an area in our field that gets neglected a bit, but botany is a building block from which knowledge of everything else stems.

At the end of the day, you can ask anyone to write a report, but building up that fundamental knowledge takes time, so start early! Those skills are truly valuable. 

What are three words would you use to describe Biodiverse Consulting?

Unique, forward-thinking, and zealous!