It's finally time to bring back my working with widllife blog series.

A series of interviews with some wonderful people who work within the natural world, from zoo keepers, to museum curators and everything in between and those that are on the path to working in these positions too. Be inspired for a future where you can combine your love of nature with your day job. I hope you enjoy these interviews, that you can learn something from them and they can inspire you.

Now let me introduce you to Amy...

Name

Amy Johnson

Age

32

Location

Milton Keynes 

What do you do?

Outdoor Learning Leader for The Parks Trust (Milton Keynes)

How did you get into it? 

After a course in Animal Management, I went on to study Marine Biology at university. I began my career hoping to be a zoo keeper, or work in wildlife conservation and I fell into a job in zoo education – something I had not considered that I wanted to do! However, I loved this career and had an amazing 10 years working with zoo animals, but eventually felt I wanted to make a difference with local wildlife. The job at The Parks Trust came up at the right time and I’ve now been here for 5 years! 

What made you want to do what you do?

For many years I focussed my efforts on educating people about conservation projects abroad, and a small amount of time focussing on UK projects. With the continued decline in British biodiversity, I felt now was the critical moment to be more involved with a project working specifically toward preserving British species. 

What does it involve?

We are quite a unique charity as we are based solely in Milton Keynes, protecting and enhancing its green spaces, rivers, lakes and woodlands. My job is to teach local people about British wildlife, our work and how they can help. We also teach skills in geography, art, map reading, history and bushcraft (such as shelter building and fire lighting!). Overall, you could say that we aim to get as many people enjoying and appreciating the great outdoors as possible. We hope that these people will love, and therefore want to protect, habitats and species alike. 

I also get to do some incredibly fun things, like designing games for students to play, running a youth club, helping out in conservation tasks and creating colouring sheets! 

Did you need any qualifications?

My role requires a degree relating to either a natural science, or teaching.

Any tips for a young person that wants to do what you do?

Volunteering is one of the most valuable ways that you can enhance your CV, make connections and learn new skills. I volunteered with local zoos for 3 or 4 years before getting a paid job, and then even continued to volunteer with teams that I wasn’t working in to gain more experience while I was being paid! 
These experiences are absolutely priceless. 

What is the best part of what you do?

I love the fact that every day is different. Some weeks we run the same lesson many times, but they are never the same. The students personalities are different, the weather changes, we will sometimes have incredible wildlife experiences during these lessons. It’s very difficult to get bored! 

What is the worst part of what you do?

I like to be prepared, and to plan as much as possible. But this is a very reactive job. Sometimes a group might get lost on their way to their local park, turn up late and affect the timing of the whole lesson. Sometimes we turn up to a site and there’s flooding, or work taking place, and this means we can’t use areas we’ve planned for. So we often have to think on our feet and make last minute changes, which causes me a little bit of stress! 

What is your favourite animal?

I’m a fan of “big/grey/brown/lumpy things”! Hippos, rhino, tapir, armadillos, whales, manatees. The list is far too long really! I think hippo and rhino compete for the top spot though. 

What was the first animal that you fell in love with?

A barn owl named Nemo. At the point of meeting him, I had an irrational fear of barn owls engrained from an experience I had as a child. But he stole my heart, got me over my fear and became a huge part of my early career. Barn owls are now one of my favourite animals (though not mentioned above!) and I take part in tracking and monitoring them through work. 

What is your favourite place in nature?

I find so much peace around water, but specifically the seas/oceans. I think I might have been a turtle in a previous life. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love art and would love to spend as much time as possible painting and drawing. 

If you were not doing what you do now what else would you love to do?

I’ve always said I’d give up everything to be a nanny in a manatee rehabilitation project. 

Who inspires you?

My peers and other professionals. I am so lucky to be surrounded by incredible individuals all trying their hardest to make a big difference in the natural world. It picks me up on days when the news has me feeling down about the future of our planet. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

I hope that people start to value nature and sustainability above profit. I hope that people in charge of the biggest decisions for humankind realise that there is no us without a healthy natural world. 

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about?

I’d just like to ask readers to never give up. You may sometimes feel like you’re battling a huge problem alone – a small fish in a big pond maybe. But we’re all small fish, and together we can make waves. 

Where can people find you?

www.theparkstrust.com

Instagram: @theparkstrust

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theparkstrust

If you work within a job connected to the natural world and would like to get involved with this blog series please pop me an email.