Q&A: What it’s like to work for Orkney’s ambitious eradication project

This post is greater than 6 months old - links may be broken or out of date. Proceed with caution!

A person with long brown hair wearing a black waterproof smiles at the camera — Monique Scott is a trapper with the Orkney Native Wildlife Project (Brad Hemingway, ONWP)

Tucked away at the top of Scotland, the Orkney Islands are a haven for rare and vulnerable species of wildlife. It’s one of the few places in the UK where curlews are still a common breeding species, it’s supported nearly 20% of the UK’s breeding Hen Harriers, and its home to the Orkney Vole – a species found nowhere else in the world.

However, the recent invasion of invasive non-native stoats means Orkney is at risk of losing its incredible wildlife. Stoats are skilled hunters, big eaters, and prolific breeders. Globally, invasive non-native species have contributed to 40% of animal extinctions in the last 400 years. On islands, this number goes up to 60%.

The Orkney Native Wildlife Project is undertaking an incredible mission to remove stoats and restore the isles to the haven it once was!

Hylton Stevenson (Trapper Team Leader) and Monique Scott (Trapper) share their experience working on the largest eradication project of its kind anywhere in the world.

Why did you want to be part of the Orkney Native Wildlife Project?

a person walking away from a stoat trap box on a moorland — Stoat trap box (Brad Hemingway, ONWP)

a person kneeling down working next to a small river — “Every day I’m out in the field!” (Brad Hemingway, ONWP)

HS: I’ve always been interested in Orkney’s wildlife. Growing up, some people wouldn’t pay any attention to it, but I was always aware of what was going on around me. Although, unlike others here, I never studied it - I grew up on a family farm here in Orkney and then worked for an agricultural dealership. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d get an offer when I applied to be a trapper for the project – but I had a good amount of experience in agriculture and loved spending time outdoors. This place has an extremely diverse workforce of people with lots of different backgrounds.

MS: I wanted to be outside! Originally, I was a graphic designer and noticed I was always drawing animals. It was like I had an itch I needed to scratch. Call me a hippie, but I wanted to get closer to nature and help wildlife thrive. So, I took some countryside management courses and scored a job as a ranger at the Derwent Reservoir, where I learnt about eradication techniques, wildlife monitoring, and trap placements. I got a taste for working in this world and I loved it! I’d actually found the Orkney trapper role on the Countryside Jobs Service website – read it, and it ticked all the boxes for what I was looking for!

What’s a day at the project like?

MS: Every day I’m out in the field! In the morning I plan my routes and prep my bait, then head out to check and reset the traps. There’s also a bit of recording data from the day.

If I’m out deploying or moving traps, I’m reading the habitat and looking for runs stoats might use. Being out there is breath taking - Orkney has a stunning diverse landscape to traverse through! You’ve got tussocks, bogs, wetlands, heathlands and dramatic coastlines. It’s like going on an intense nature walk every day! But I should say, it's not all a walk in the park. While sometimes you get wonderful clear days, on others you’re out there braving the ferocious Orkney elements! The terrain can take its toll – you fall over a few times, and the traps are especially heavy when they’re wet! But I’d always choose this over going back to sit behind a desk all day!

Is it difficult being part of an eradication project when you love nature and wildlife so much?

HS: Obviously no one here wants to be killing an animal, but it’s important we take action or else we could lose a lot more of what makes Orkney pretty special. What I really love is we’re not a business, we’re not here to pull in revenue. Instead, we’re dedicated to a specific goal to protect the wildlife. We’ve also helped locals learn about what’s in their own backyard. I wouldn’t say I go preaching to people, but it’s nice to see people realise what wildlife is right under their noses.

MS: I actually really love stoats! They’re an amazing predator – just in the wrong place, so that’s why we need to do something to future-proof our wildlife. If I catch a stoat, I know I’ve made a difference. I’ve saved a bird’s nest somewhere out there. Without our help, a lot of species could decline rapidly.

A person wearing a black beanie hat baiting a stoat trap on a moorland — Monique rebaits a stoat trap (Brad Hemingway, ONWP)

What advice do you have for someone looking to get into similar conservation work?

HS: If you’re passionate, take the opportunities to learn and build your experience! It’s good to think about what you can bring personally to a position, and always remember that you don’t know everything! Make sure you’re open to working in new ways. And it’s always worth applying!

MS: Have a positive attitude! A great way in is through the residential volunteer scheme - The project looks for people to come up and build experience every six months. They’ll even give you a house to live in during the six months! It’s a great chance to fast-track your skills and a lot of people who’ve done it end up working here full-time!

Learn more about the Orkney Native Wildlife Project at orkneynativewildlife.org.