Niall Provan from Clackmannanshire has always had a passion for the outdoors and tells us about his career in environmental conservation.
"I’ve spent many happy hours out hill walking in the Highlands, so it was natural step to find a career where I could develop practical skills and contribute to protecting and conserving our natural environment.
After I finished school, I was a bit lost on my path due to not achieving the exam results I had expected, but I managed to find my way onto the countryside management course at SRUC Oatridge. After a few years there, I saw a post for a Modern Apprenticeship at the Callander Landscape Partnership (CLP), employed through Callander Youth Project, and was very excited by the opportunity to have my first job in the industry whilst continuing to learn and achieve qualifications.
I applied and was lucky enough to be successful. Working as part of the CLP really opened my eyes to the type of work I could get involved in through the environmental conservation industry. Despite the role being altered somewhat due to the pandemic, it was still an incredibly worthwhile experience and led me onto the next phase of my career.
I landed a job as a Project Support Officer with Forth Rivers Trust after completing the apprenticeship, being part of a select team working on the ambitious Larig Restoration Project in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. This was aimed at improving the River Larig and its surrounding habitat through riparian tree planting, in-river and bankside restoration works.
The basis of this work, as well as the wider work of the Trust, falls under the need to improve the biodiversity of rivers and their wider catchments as well as to address the rising issues resulting from heavier and flashier rainfall events. The populations of one notable species for example, Atlantic salmon, are currently on a downward trend due to pressures such as pollution, over-fishing and climate change. These kinds of projects provide the shade and habitat salmon and other freshwater species need – rising summer temperatures mean shade is becoming a necessity for these species to survive and thrive.
Now within my role of Project Officer with the Forth Rivers Trust, I help to deliver river restoration, wetland creation and peatland restoration works on a catchment-wide scale across the Firth of Forth area. My time is mostly focussed on the Allan Water catchment, as part of the delivery team for the EU MERLIN project, a Europe-wide habitat restoration initiative spread across 18 different case studies aimed at addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. Alongside this, I’m back into full-time education currently working through my HND, then hoping to achieve my BSc in Wildlife & Conservation Management with SRUC. Balancing full-time education and part-time work is tough but rewarding, and I know the combination of experience and qualifications will set me in good stead for my future career development.
The key part of my job, and the key to tackling the problems rivers face as a whole, is addressing them at a catchment-wide level. Woodlands, peatlands, wetlands and farmlands are all part of the mosaic of habitats found within a river catchment, and each have their part to play in reducing the pressures seen most obviously in the river itself.
This also makes this kind of work really appealing to me, as it’s about tackling the smaller issues in order to solve the wider problem. Lack of connectivity is one of the biggest issues with loss of habitats and biodiversity – working with farmers and land managers to try and reinstate this connectivity in line with farm business models whilst also trying to adjust cultures and individual viewpoints is challenging, but very rewarding work. A portion of my time is spent making funding applications to continue to support our works, with hopes to continuously bring new landowners into the fold and further enable us to innovate our restoration techniques across the catchment.
In terms of what the future holds, another part of my job I love the most is the variety of landscapes and locations I get to work in. In time, I’d like to pursue this type of work in other parts of the country. I’d relish the chance to apply my knowledge and skills to areas like the Cairngorms or the north-west Highlands.
I had always wanted to work outdoors in some form, but never envisioned where I am now to be my path into the industry. Things can change, and opportunities can arise very quickly, so it’s good to not feel too bound by a route you have in mind and allow yourself the chance to seize these opportunities. It’s taken time for me to be prepared to give higher education my all, and the trials and tribulations I’ve encountered have been crucial in order to learn this and to know when the time was right to make this commitment. It feels great to be on the path I’m on now, and I’m excited to see what the future holds".