Full Circle Moment
This post is greater than 6 months old - links may be broken or out of date. Proceed with caution!
By Mark Crisp Warden for RSPB Farnham and Hazeley Heaths
It’s a funny old job this one. The cliche is that ‘no two days are the same’ but this still stands firm and true. Every day I’ll be doing something different, from checking livestock, to writing reports, to surveying. And that’s why I love it, the variation in this role is what I enjoy the most, the wildlife is just an added bonus!
I’ve always had a passion for nature and the outdoors. During my childhood, I was outside constantly, whether it was with my family or friends, we’d be out somewhere; the local woods, the garden, the local pond, anywhere as long as it was outdoors. One Christmas I got a bird book, which I still have and cherish to this day. I would scan through this book each day and recount tales to my parents of birds that I knew everything about and had seen in the garden or at school. One funny story was me as a 7-year-old on the ferry to the Isle of Wight, and seeing as we were by the sea I, with my trusty bird book, announced very loudly to my parents in the seating area that I knew what a shag was… this, followed by, “it’s a small cormorant”, sent the room up in rapturous laughter, which at the time I had no idea why? Kids say the darnedest things.
Fast-forward to my early twenties and I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do for a job or a career. I’d realised that my band wasn’t going to make it, but by this point I had no A-Levels so was a bit stuck. I had tried hospitality and sales, and whilst I was very adept at selling broadband to people on the streets of London (yes, I was one of those people), I’d run out of money for the train (the job didn’t pay well) and it was definitely not my passion in life.
Once you’re in your twenties, people start asking you that horrible question, “what do you actually want to do with your life?” I’d not really thought about it, I still loved nature and being outdoors, but after dodging that dreaded question for ages, eventually I had to answer. My natural response was, “I’d love to work outdoors, or with animals.” So, with that I looked into my local college courses, enrolled on a Countryside Management course, and got stuck in. I have to say, the most useful aspect of this course was the work experience unit. I had to research what jobs there were in conservation and this to me was a revelation. I had a eureka moment and thought to myself, “hang on a minute, I can WORK in conservation???” It made complete sense. Career = sorted.
I’d always loved the RSPB as an organisation, so much so that I used to steal my dad’s membership magazine before he could read it. So, when the time came for me to embark on a 3-week residential volunteering stint whilst at college, it again made complete sense to do it with the RSPB. The only site that had dates available was this funny place called Farnham Heath. At the time I remember thinking “what is this.. heath-land? What is a Dartford warbler?” It feels weird looking back now and thinking that Dartfords are up there with one of my favourite species.
After day one of my stint, my world had changed. Meeting the team and the volunteers there and experiencing their passion was infectious. I had decided there and then that I wanted to work at Farnham and Hazeley specifically, so I made that my mission. After college in 2018, I successfully applied to the RSPB long-term residential volunteering scheme at Farnham and Hazeley and was provided with accommodation, transport to and from the reserves, a technical skills training package, and heaps of practical experience. I learnt everything I could about the wildlife and habitats and asked questions non-stop, to the point where I must’ve been getting on everyone’s nerves - but don’t let that put you off! In my view, passion and attitude trumps knowledge any day of the week.
Upon completing my long-term residential volunteering scheme, I was unsuccessful in my first attempt of getting the newly available Assistant Warden role at Farnham and Hazeley. Apparently it was very close, something I’m sure the readers have heard multiple times in the past - cue plenty of eye-rolling. Nevertheless, undeterred, I carried on applying and managed to secure a role in Dorset with the National Trust, this was a short term contract which, once completed, helped me gain my next position with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) back in Surrey. This was also a short-term contract role, but helped me to gain my next role as a Stockperson with the RSPB at the Ouse Washes. This role blew my mind.
It was during Covid-19 (remember those days) and the role had been deemed ‘essential’ by the government. We had over two-thousand head of cattle, and had to check on them every day. Again, this was a short-term role, but was probably one of the most valuable and intensive experiences I have ever had. Working with these animals, specifically livestock, was like nothing else I’d ever experienced. Learning how they operated, their personalities, their intelligence, their compassion was honestly one of the best things ever. Truth be told I was sad to go, but Cambridgeshire is as flat as a pancake and I like hills and mountains too much!
After this role, I secured my first RSPB Assistant Warden role down at the Exe Estuary in Devon, and what a place. The team were brilliant, the wildlife was brilliant, but there was only one problem… after 6 months I’d had a call and the Assistant Warden role for Farnham and Hazeley was back on the menu, and I wanted to eat that sucker up! So I applied, and after the SECOND time of trying, managed to secure the job. This time I made sure it wasn’t close. And with that, I made the difficult decision to leave Devon to head back to where it all began.
After nearly two years in the role, there had been mutterings from the Warden that he was going to retire. After many conversations about this, with me mostly saying “I’ll believe it when I see it”, it turned out he wasn’t fibbing! So again, I applied for the Warden role, and made sure I knew everything I needed to know prior to the interview. As you probably would’ve guessed by now, I managed to secure the job.
I’ve come from starting off as a volunteer, to becoming the Warden and running the place!? It’s during rare moments such as this, that I can reflect and feel very proud of myself and would urge anyone who’s read this far, to never give up hope. I get to work my dream job and put all my passion back into the sites that started it all for me. I have my own herds of Konik ponies and belted Galloway cattle, who I love dearly, and I get to work somewhere that makes me incredibly happy - and that’s the whole point. Yes, some days are tough, and it was hard work getting here, but most of my days are brilliant, and I have to pinch myself every now and then to think how far I’ve come. And if I can do it, anyone can.
Don’t give up folks, keep pushing and persevering. Get as much experience as you can, help the wildlife that doesn’t have a voice. You’ll get there eventually, have a clear goal in your mind of where you want to be, and make it happen. I have the absolute privilege of working my dream job, but only because I put the time and effort in to get here. You can do it too. Keep applying, keep asking for feedback, keep going and you’ll get there eventually.
If you would like to volunteer with RSPB click here
More from RSPB