From Ecologist to Environmental Manager
01/11/2018

For the past five years, I’ve been training as an ecologist and had some fantastic adventures (like feeding Baraka – picture above!). However, last summer I decided it was time to leave the ecologist world to my esteemed colleagues that have it covered and enter the business side of the world. As they would say – I have defected to the “enemy”.
Changing tack was a scary prospect, I didn’t know whether I’d be able to keep up with the business world, whether I’d fit in or whether I’d be passionate about my new career! However, starting the Environmental Management for Business MSc and my first module (Principles of Sustainability), I realised I made the perfect decision. I wasn’t the odd one out. Within my class, there’s a wide range of backgrounds from chemical engineers to management students. Once we started discussing sustainability, I realised though we had all come from different backgrounds, we all believed in the same concept: we can make a positive difference to the environment.
Something I’ve learnt over my time (and I think it can be very easy to forget) as an ecologist, is that my changes alone are nothing without the work and support from other disciplines. We, as ecologists, cannot save the world alone. We need marketing teams to effectively spread the message, politicians to listen and govern the country and sociologists to help implement changes to society effectively. We may be different in our talents, skills and passions but we all belong to one planet. We all have the same common goal and I think that’s evident at Cranfield University.
What I’ve learnt in my first two weeks here is don’t look at where someone’s come from but look to where they are going. Look at what they want to achieve and whether they align with yours. If they don’t, remember this is not an issue. Discuss and explore. Listen and learn. Grow as an individual, as a society and as a planet.
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
Ceramic Matrix Composites at Cranfield is in good hands
It’s been a couple months since we got going on the ACCORD project, led by myself (Dr Geoff Neale) and Dr Alex Skordos, which aims to kickstart a fruitful collaboration between the Composites and Advanced ...
From vision to venture: How the Cranfield Seed Fund helped Zeroox redefine renting
In an industry where tenant voices are often overlooked, Zeroox Ltd is on a mission to shift the narrative. Founded in February 2022, Zeroox began as a free digital toolkit for private landlords. Today, it ...
The recipe never tastes the same – and that’s the whole point
Lately, I’ve been sitting with a thought that’s been quietly simmering in the back of my mind. You know how sometimes something small like a failed dish or a casual memory suddenly starts feeling a ...
Bank holiday hours for Library Services: Monday 26 May
Library Services staff will be taking a break on Monday 26 May for the early May bank holiday. You will still be able to access all the resources and help you need via our library website. ...
Want to know more about research methods?
Research methods are the strategies and tools used to gather, analyse and interpret data or evidence to uncover new information or create better understanding of a topic. Research methodology is the theory, justification and assumptions ...
How do I cite…. items with multiple authors in APA7?
This post follows on from our post on using 'et al' in citations but has a slightly different focus - do read them both! As you may know, in-text citations can be written either as ...