Felix Meister, 36, lives in Edinburgh and works for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Scotland.
"I am currently carrying out a research project that reviews the scientific literature regarding the biodiversity effects of various forms of land management in the British uplands. I am particularly interested in the impacts of grouse moor management, hill farming, afforestation and peatland restoration. I also assist with field work. Recently, I was successful in applying for a permanent position as advisor at GWCT.
GWCT is an independent organisation that conducts scientific research on the impacts of land management on gamebirds and other wildlife. Results are communicated in the form of published guidelines and codes of best practice and through advising land managers on an individual basis. GWTC is also involved in consultations for proposed legislation affecting land management in the UK.
I joined GWCT in 2022, and before that was a gamekeeper on a gamefarm in Aberdeenshire that also managed shoots for commercial shooting.
On leaving high school in Germany, I went to university to study Classical Languages and Literature (Ancient Greek and Latin). I obtained a B.A. from the University of Leipzig, Germany, and a M.St. and D.Phil. from the University of Oxford. After completing my D.Phil., I worked as a lecturer in Classics at universities in Germany and the UK. Though I always enjoyed working as an academic, I missed working outdoors and especially with dogs. When I came to Scotland on an academic scholarship, and saw the career option for gamekeeping, I decided to change careers and enrolled in a course on Game and Wildlife Management in Borders College.
In addition to my academic degrees, I have a Higher National Certificate in Game and Wildlife Management from Borders College.
I enjoyed it very much. Our lecturers had a wealth of passion and practical knowledge. Moreover, they were extremely personable and helpful, for instance, with finding work placements and jobs and with my application for shotgun and firearms licences.
My Higher National Certificate was crucial not only in finding employment as a gamekeeper immediately after college, but also in securing my current position with GWCT. Most of my colleagues here have university degrees in ecology. My practical training and experience in game and wildlife management has been seen as a distinct advantage and contribution to the work of GWCT.
I applied for a job at GWCT as their work seemed to offer precisely the kind of combination of practical and intellectual work that I was looking for.
In Germany, land is not managed for shooting the way that it is in the UK. Before coming to Scotland, I was not aware of the various career paths in the game and wildlife management sector that this country has to offer. I believe that this is a real asset for the UK in general and for Scotland in particular.
My work currently varies very much throughout the year. In the spring and summer, I was involved in field work for a research project examining the relationship between Mountain hare densities and the tick burden on Red grouse chicks. In the spring, we visited certain well-defined sites at night and counted Mountain hares with lamps. In the summer, we returned to the same sites, located Red grouse broods and counted the ticks on their chick. Moreover, in the spring and summer, I was also involved in Red grouse pre- and post-breeding surveys with my German Wirehaired Pointer. In between these periods of field work, I work on my research project from home.
The work of GWCT aims to make game and wildlife management more sustainable. In doing so, it plays a vital part in ensuring a future for field sports in the UK.
Since my research work at the moment is desk-based without formal supervision, I need to able to manage my own time efficiently. For the field work, I am required to be flexible, as plans constantly change due to weather and staff shortages.
The thing I enjoy most about working for GWCT is the combination of practical interaction with land owners and land managers on the one hand and the engagement with scientific research on the other. I enjoy it very much.
During my course at college, I had to familiarise myself very quickly with all the various aspects of game and wildlife management in Scotland, from legislation to public relations and systems of gamebird rearing and releasing. Despite these difficulties, I passed with the best grade and was recommended for an ALBAS 2023 award, which I subsequently received in the Higher Education Category.