Hello everyone
I want to introduce myself as the newest member of the RSK Wilding team! I’m James and I joined the team as a principal ecologist at the end of last year.
I’ve been working as an ecologist for over ten years now and I’ve had the chance to work on some fairly sizeable and interesting projects, including HS2 and East West Rail Phase 2. I’ve led biodiversity net gain (BNG) strategies and assessments, ecological assessments, nature recovery funds and stakeholder engagement on a variety of projects. Some of my highlights have been authoring the first BNG strategy for a major infrastructure project in the UK and designing and implementing a cross-county network of habitat creation and restoration sites (over 100 hectares!).
I volunteer with CIEEM and I sit on the CIEEM Ecological Restoration and Habitat Creation Special Interest Group. We have just published the brand new Rebuilding nature: Good practice guidance for ecological restoration, which is well worth a read! We are also developing CIEEM’s ecological restoration good practice guidance for ecologists and environmental managers, which should be published this autumn (watch this space!).
Although these days I specialise more in BNG and ecological restoration, I’m actually a fairly generalist ecologist. I’ve been involved in projects dealing with most protected species and habitats in the UK and I’ve managed their associated ecological assessments and strategies. I really enjoy botany (I’m Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Level 4) and I also have survey licences for bats, great crested newts and hazel dormice.
Outside of work, you’ll either find me doing something outdoor-based (hiking, running or camping), in the garden, poorly attempting DIY (my new house has turned out to be quite the doer-upper…) or booking the next getaway!
I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in here at RSK Wilding and helping clients with their biodiversity needs.
James Hicks,
Principal Ecologist