Wetlands Ecologist and Lower Avon Valley Farmer Cluster Facilitator
Lizzie joined the GWCT in 2015. She works with breeding waders in Hampshire’s Avon Valley and facilitates the Lower Avon Valley Farmer Cluster to help improve habitat conditions and predator management, and monitor breeding success.
All catching and ringing is done under BTO licence and for targeted research projects.
“I love the variety of my job: there is a great mix of field work, office work and working with different people. I get to work directly with a great group of farmers and keepers where we can input conservation actions directly into a nationally important area.”
Outside work, Lizzie’s passions include bird ringing as a volunteer with a ringing group in Devon and Cornwall; conducting research on wintering waders; and in Norfolk, researching wader migration and survival. “The great thing about being involved in these groups,” she says “is not just being involved in the fascinating scientific research and conservation outcomes, but also the team atmosphere and camaraderie of conducting fieldwork.”
When she is not working with waders, Lizzie plays touch rugby with Fordingbridge Ladies Team and Bournemouth Touch Centre. In 2021 she was selected to play for the South West Saxons Ladies team, who finished second in the nationals.
Looking back on her career so far, Lizzie says: “I think the main difficulty is to initially get a job within conservation. It is a competitive sector where even entry-level jobs require experience. My student placement year with the GWCT definitely helped with this. Once you are in, like any job you need to keep your skill and knowledge levels up.”