What made you choose Arbtech?
I’m at my happiest when out on-site doing surveys, and Arbtech provide a lot of opportunities for me to expand my skills and experience on a wide range of projects.
The large team of ecologists at Arbtech with different expertise and backgrounds is exactly what I need to get the most out of my day-to-day work at this stage in my career, both from a learning and social perspective.
What do you love most about the company?
Being a new starter, I’d have to say that the warm welcome and constant support from all the staff I have interacted with has really made starting out at Arbtech so much more enjoyable and comfortable.
In addition, the strong sense of community and the sharing of ideas between everyone is really encouraging.
What do you do when you are not at Arbtech?
I’d definitely say that it would be rare for me to go a day or two without doing something active outside.
I’m often found hiking or cycling while listening to anything from pop-punk to film soundtracks.
That said, during the winter, I tend to spend more time watching films and reading fantasy books. I’ve also become increasingly obsessed with playing board games in the past year or so.
I also love going out into central London to try out one of the many restaurants and bars that friends and family recommend to me.
What is your biggest tip to achieve the most in life?
- Try to appreciate that everyone has a different perspective.
- Improving the natural and human world is equally important; by helping one, you help the other. An alarming amount of people are unaware and/or don’t understand this.
- You can learn a great deal from fully immersing yourself in cultures around the world that are vastly different from the one you grew up with.
What is the best social you’ve been on at Arbtech?
Unfortunately, due to being very new to this role, I have not yet been on any socials.
I am, however, very keen to go on as many as possible in the future!
Where do you want to travel to next?
I would definitely go back to Central and South America again and explore new regions/countries, such as Patagonia and Colombia.
The sheer natural beauty of countries like Costa Rica and Panama and the abundance of endemic wildlife are so captivating to me.
New Zealand and Canada are also up there, as well as returning to Italy to see family again.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
By then, I hope to be working at a senior ecologist level, be more of an expert in a wide range of protected species, and have improved my competence with botany and BNG.
I’d love to obtain more protected species licences and qualifications in the coming months/years, especially a dormouse licence.
More than anything, being a fully competent field specialist in a variety of areas is my ultimate goal.
What is a goal you have for the future, in or out of work?
It has always been an ambition of mine to live and work abroad, as I love learning about all kinds of fauna and flora in unique ecosystems around the world. I also hope to one day run a conservation centre where I can publish my own research papers.
Outside of work, I’d love to get back into fencing and compete in tournaments again. Fencing is easily my favourite sport to both compete in and watch. Plus, there aren’t many other opportunities for me to stab my friends and get away with it!
I would also love to be fluent in Italian and Spanish at some point. I am currently very much a beginner in both, but it would be so great to one day be able to have full conversations with my family in Italy and also make future trips throughout Latin America much easier.
Oliver joined Arbtech in November 2023.
