Ecological Consultant

Ecological consultants survey land to identify protected species, habitats, and ecological features that may be affected by development, infrastructure projects, or land management change. Typical survey work includes bat activity surveys and roost assessments, great crested newt pond surveys and eDNA sampling, dormouse nest tube surveys, breeding bird surveys, Phase 1 and Phase 2 habitat surveys, and badger sett assessments.

Survey results feed into written ecological impact assessments (EcIA) and protected species reports submitted to local planning authorities and Natural England as part of planning applications. Ecologists advise developers and architects on avoiding, mitigating, or compensating for ecological harm — and increasingly on delivering Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), the mandatory requirement introduced under the Environment Act 2021 for new developments in England from February 2024 to deliver a measurable 10% improvement in biodiversity value.

Ecologists work for specialist consultancies (ranging from sole traders to large multi-disciplinary consultancies), local authority ecology teams, environmental charities (Wildlife Trusts, RSPB), and Natural England itself. With experience, ecologists develop specialist survey licences (Natural England bat licence, dormouse licence, great crested newt licence) and may progress to project management or principal consultant roles.

The Environment Act 2021 made Biodiversity Net Gain mandatory for new developments in England from February 2024 — creating substantial structural new demand for ecologists to carry out baseline habitat surveys, calculate BNG metrics using the Defra Biodiversity Metric, and design and monitor habitat management plans. This is a legally mandated requirement that cannot be removed without primary legislation. The CIEEM workforce survey consistently reports recruitment difficulty and a shortage of experienced ecologists. Climate change legislation and the 30x30 target (protecting 30% of land for nature by 2030) create further long-term demand.

In spring survey season, a day might begin with a pre-dawn bat emergence survey at a building earmarked for redevelopment — recording species and emergence counts. After a few hours sleep you write up survey notes, update the bat activity detector data, and begin drafting a protected species assessment for a planning application. In the afternoon you travel to a site for a Phase 1 habitat survey: walking the boundary and field features, recording habitats, and mapping on a GIS tablet.