Internship Review

As an ecology intern, my role was to assist team members with their work. This often involved writing reports for projects and transferring data. Whilst working with other members of the team it was important to communicate frequently on teams, in order to make sure the work was conducted correctly. This was important as many of the projects that Arcadis undertakes are for big companies such as National Grid. Other days were spent on site collecting data on different habitats and species present. This information was then fed back to the ecology team so that the correct ecological precautions could be taken during the project. During my internship I had the opportunity to undertake water vole and otter surveys and bat emergence and re-entry surveys.

Whilst doing office work I have developed my excel, report writing and communication skills. I have also had the chance to increase my proficiency in using GIS data. During survey work, I was able to learn how to identify the signs of water vole and otter presence. Whilst doing bat emergence and re-entry surveys, I learnt how to use a batlogger. I also learnt about the different species of bat and their echolocation frequencies.

I was often given the responsibility of working quite independently to complete reports for projects involving other major companies. Whilst conducting fieldwork I was responsible for recording the data correctly

I received support through weekly teams meetings and also individual calls with people I was working with. There were always people I could call if I was unsure on my tasks. During the survey work, I was working with very knowledgeable people who provided me with a lot of guidance and happily answered any questions. I wasn't able to receive that much guidance in person when not on surveys as most people worked from home. This sometimes led to delays in receiving answers to questions that I had about the work.

Working in the office was often very quiet as most of the ecology team worked from home and is spread around the country. This meant that I was often working independently and didn't have people to go to lunch with or to take breaks with. As a result it could get lonely while working in the office

I enjoyed working on large scale projects and playing a role in writing reports. I also really enjoyed undertaking survey work with other ecologists, not only from Arcadis but also other companies such as Temple and JBA. Whilst doing the survey work I was able to learn a lot, not only about the species we were surveying but also about ecology in general. As most people didn't come into the office, I didn't enjoy the office work as much as the surveying. This is because I didn't get the chance to talk to team members and I was often working on my own all day

No

This internship would be great if you are sure about working in ecology consultancy. It is a great opportunity to work on large scale projects with an international company and undertake survey work. Make sure to consider that most days are spent doing independent office work so you need to be driven to complete work on your own. This internship also involved a lot of travelling around the country so you need to be confident to travel either by train or drive.