Margaret Feneley - Conservation Officer, English Nature

My first degree was a BA Hons in Combined Arts (Geography, French and German) at Leicester University. I then spent three years working for the British Schools Exploring Society, based at the Royal Geographical Society in London, organising science and adventure expeditions overseas for young people aged 16 to 20.

I left to travel for eight months around Australia and South East Asia. On my return, I looked for a post focusing on environment or development issues. I accepted the post of policy research officer at the Council for Environmental Education, a national umbrella body co-ordinating, promoting and influencing environmental education policy and practice.

My role originally focused on informal education (youth work), promoting opportunities for young people to learn about environmental issues beyond the school curriculum. This was an exciting time for the movement with the rise of education for sustainable development (ESD). I subsequently took on responsibility for the area of biodiversity education, working particularly on the integration of education and awareness into UK biodiversity policy.

After ten years, I wanted to focus more on the scientific/ecological aspects of biodiversity and studied part time for an MSc in Biodiversity & Conservation at Leeds University. I then took up my present post where I have now been for five years. Although primarily concerned with the conservation and management of statutory designated sites (SSSI and SAC), my previous experience means I am well placed to contribute to English Nature’s commitment to linking people and wildlife. It also meant I was offered the publicity and communications lead role for the team. This includes responsibility for producing the team’s newsletter, press releases and web pages, production of leaflets and other display materials, compiling an events programme and involvement with regional and national communications initiatives.  It has also provided the great opportunity to get involved with showing English Nature’s Longhorn cattle at national and local agricultural shows.

Aside from the publicity element my post is extremely busy and varied, including liaising with SSSI owners and managers, arranging management agreements and works, setting conservation objectives and assessing site condition, responding to consultations on planning applications and liaison with local partner organisations. I also find that having a national policy background brings an important context and overview to my work at a local level.

Return to Case Studies