We believe that training is an important part of professional development, both for new and existing members of staff. We regularly set aside time in the calendar to develop our team’s skill set. Here’s a write up, by our Graduate Ecologist Henry Wyn-Jones, of a recent Track and Sign training day that was organised for the company.
The Track and Sign training day started off bright and early with a few of the staff adding a dawn bird walk to the day, taking in the songs of Woodlark and calls of Marsh Tit. The location was Kings Forest near Thetford, Norfolk. David Wege, the knowledgeable leader, was tasked with undertaking the training of the team. As ecologists, possessing the knowledge to uncover which species may be present on a site from their tracks and signs is an invaluable asset. It is particularly important when dealing with species that can be shy or nocturnal such as badger, deer and rodents.
Throughout the day the staff were able to identify tracks from several species of deer, badger and fox. Additionally, the team came across a large badger set, foxes’ den and rabbit burrows, all of which may seem superficially similar but each harbouring their own specific tell-tale signs. Whilst these skills aid ecologists in the workplace, they can also help enrich the personal understanding and enjoyment of the natural world.