Name: Simon Chapman
Occupation: Principal/senior ecologist
Employer: Boffa Miskell
Describe your job.
I have an amazing job! I started last week in a suit and tie as an expert witness at a Board of Inquiry hearing for a roading project. The following morning I was in a helicopter touring a beautiful and remote area at the other end of the country. I then got dropped off in the back of beyond and tramped 20km over two days through a proposed hydro scheme area.
My week ended back in Auckland at a Maori blessing ceremony for a project to relocate rare native geckos from a quarry site. This week I'll be in the office catching up on emails and report writing.
I'm a consultant ecologist based in Auckland - at least that's where my office is. I sometimes go days without seeing it. My job involves designing and implementing environmental research, monitoring and management projects all around New Zealand. Examples including investigating potential environmental effects of large-scale proposals such as roading and rail projects, wind farms, hydro schemes, property developments and water/sewage management infrastructure.
My hours are flexible and based on clients' project requirements. Clients range from one-off property developers through to project managers in private and public sectors. I also work with council ecologists and consent staff, the Department of Conservation, environmental/community groups, and other scientists.
Who do you work for?
Boffa Miskell is an environmental planning and design consultancy. In the last 35 years we have helped shape the country for the better by ensuring major works projects are as sympathetic as possible to our landscapes and ecosystems.
We are owned by company employees with offices in Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch plus we have opened an office in Shanghai in response to demand for our innovative environmental design services in China.
What is your background?
I've been interested in ecology since I was a lad. My dad worked at the old Wellington museum so I got to see the natural history collections and hang out with interesting scientists. I also lived in the highlands of Papua New Guinea for six months - heaven for a young ecologist! Fast-forward 20 years and I headed to Lincoln University to study ecology.
I started getting approached to provide freelance ecology expertise before I graduated. I had developed specialist expertise on native lizards and bats in addition to a good knowledge of plants and birds. Clients tended to make use of all of my skills and not just the specialist ones. Once I completed my studies I worked as a freelance ecologist, including a few projects with Boffa Miskell and they invited me to join them in the job I have now.
I gained strong business skills while self-employed and that allowed me to get involved in the management side of things.
What qualifications/ skills do you need for this role?
A master's degree is the standard qualification for a consultant ecologist. Several universities offer such degrees, so shop around for one that caters to your personal interest areas to help you stay inspired during the five years of study.
Get your tertiary studies out of the way so you can start building your career. And choose a simple thesis topic that you can complete easily within a year.
It helps if you learn other things: plant identification, bird calls, sampling and monitoring techniques, mapping/GIS, first aid, outdoor/mountain safety, four-wheel-driving, boating, scuba diving etc.
Create opportunities to grow your management skills - it will help you to transition to more of a desk job as your career progresses.
Is there much work for ecologists in New Zealand?
There is definitely work for consultant ecologists - especially for graduates with a point of difference or a well-rounded skill set. We have trouble filling senior roles and good field technicians can be difficult to find, too.
Staying in touch with research is essential. Our employers tend to support memberships of relevant scientific bodies and subscriptions to relevant publications. I attend conferences regularly and seek out opportunities to present my latest findings. It's important that developments are shared across the industry.
How do you combine a passion for ecology/conservation as well as allowing for progress?
The most satisfying projects are those where we get involved in the design process early enough to avoid adverse environmental effects. There's a pleasing trend towards bringing us in well in advance of the engineers so that we can work with landscape planners to identify ecological and landscape values. That means that by the time the engineers start their work, the constraints are already understood.
My favourite moments are when I'm on site and contractors show interest in what I do - there's support for ensuring the environment is properly cared for during big projects.
MY JOB
Name: Simon Chapman
Occupation: Principal/senior ecologist
Employer: Boffa Miskell
Age: 39
Working hours: Flexible and often more than 50 hours a week, including occasional late nights and weekends.
Pay scale: Graduate ecologists start on about $50,000. It's possible to earn $100,000-plus if you develop strong skills in project management and presenting expert evidence at council hearings and the Environment Court.
Qualifications: Bachelor of Science and a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Science (both from Lincoln University).
