Ellé Chmiewliski – BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology graduate
Being a part of the solution towards a more sustainable, healthy future
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Course studied: BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology*
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@Current job title: PhD Student (Investigating the responses of garden flora to climate change)
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@Current employer: University of Sheffield & Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
What motivated me to study my course
My love for the natural world and the devastating consequences that are being imposed on biodiversity levels globally as a result of climate change motivated me to study my course. Being a part of the solution towards a more sustainable, healthy future, rather than sitting back complacently and quite literally watch the world go up in flames and drown.
Why I wanted to study at Plymouth
I’ve loved exploring and being outside since I was little, and being close to the sea was important to me. Plymouth offered me the best of both worlds, Dartmoor and the coast were right on the doorstep and ready to explore in my free time. The chance to complete fieldwork in sand dune and tropical rainforest ecosystems was also very exciting.
The staff are incredible and have a wealth of experience and knowledge that seems never-ending!
The course covers a wide range of topics that you can tailor to your interests but still allows for a broader education that teaches key skills and provides professional experiences that employers look for. The field trips available are also a huge bonus and there is a huge sense of community that studying at Plymouth provides.
Ellé with her research poster titled 'The Devil's in the Scabious Detail'
A supportive environment
I can’t praise the academic staff enough, they’re one of the reasons I’m in the career I have today. They always make time to see you if you want to discuss areas you’re struggling with and explain how you can improve. They’re also amazing at providing guidance for both course-related issues and for future career ideas, as well as giving you the confidence to apply for positions that you otherwise might not have considered. A special mention to
Dr James Buckley
and
Dr Robert Puschendorf
who helped me to prepare for interview questions and proofread my PhD application, even though I was no longer a student at Plymouth.
My placement experience
I completed a placement year with the Field Studies Council at their Nettlecombe Court Centre and it was one of the highlights of my degree programme. It made me reconsider the preconceptions I had about my career after university, introducing me to teaching a variety of fieldwork and students from a variety of levels and backgrounds. It was something I loved and helped to reinforce the passion I had for my degree.
Ellé running workshops at Nettlecombe Court Centre
Students identifying plants
Ellé helping students collect specimens
How Plymouth influenced my career path
Plymouth has some inspiring people who have worked or are working on some amazing research projects that have a global reach and great connections.
Being exposed to such projects over the course of my BSc helped me realise and appreciate just how broad the scope for research in conservation-based sectors are and that if you’re passionate and determined enough anything is possible. Also having the freedom and support to tailor my final research project to my interests, really helped to encourage my aspirations to do further research in the future.
My career path
I have worked as a graduate consultant ecologist for a global consultancy and engineering firm. I thoroughly enjoyed the surveying (primarily of bats) and learnt an array of new skills such as using new software to analyse bat calls for identifications, writing EcIA’s, HIA’s and PEA’s. However, the work-life balance and lack of variety in the position lead me to look for a new role.
I then worked as a SEN science teaching assistant in a local secondary school for several months, which was very rewarding, helping me to further my communication skills. It helped me realise that what I loved teaching was ecology and that I missed working on ecology focused research.
This led me to apply for the role which I am currently in as PhD student at the University of Sheffield on a project funded by the RHS. I’m investigating the effects of climate change on gardens and garden flora and how we can make these systems more resilient to change ensuring they continue to provide ecosystem services to wildlife and humans.
Identifying spiders
Collecting insect specimens
Surveying the environment
You’re studying topics that constantly remind you of the threat to our planet and the alarming rate that issues such as climate change, biodiversity and food poverty are happening, and it inspires you to want to make a change. It’s one of the main reasons that I chose my PhD.
This role also allows me to educate others and provide guidance about how we can mitigate climate change in a somewhat currently under-utilised way. It’s an eye-opening experience studying a degree within the area of biological sciences, but one that is so important and crucial for the future of our planet.
Our hands-on approach, will give you the scientific tools to address environmental issues
Develop your knowledge of ecology and conservation key areas such as population ecology, evolutionary processes, behavioural ecology, conservation genetics and habitat management, and prime yourself for a career in ecology, conservation or environmental monitoring.
*BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology is now named BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation