Welcome to the Ecology Academy podcast, hosted by Richard Dodd. In this episode, we delve into the role and responsibilities of an Ecological Clerk of Works. With summer in full swing, ecologists are busy with surveys and monitoring projects across the UK and beyond. Whether you’re in the UK or elsewhere, this episode is packed with valuable insigh…

Series 3 Episode 1 On Inside City Hall this episode, London Assembly Members Neil Garratt and new co-host Emma Best discuss: Election Results. Including a sales pitch for the modified d'Hondt electoral system used for electing Assembly Members. Tram Trouble. Rolling stock problems on the Croydon Tram, echoing Central Line problems. The repeated far…

In this insightful episode of the Ecology Academy podcast, we explore the fascinating world of district licensing in ecological conservation with Sarah Garratt and Andy Buxton from NatureSpace. We delve into Sarah's contribution to NatureSpace's strategic licensing approach and Andy's role in the conceptualization of district licensing. Additionall…

Welcome to an enthralling episode of the Ecology Academy Podcast, where host Richard Dodd is joined by special guest Nikki Glover, a Senior Ecologist at Wessex Water renowned for her innovative newt detection techniques. Our dynamic conversation delves into Nikki's essential contributions to large-scale development infrastructure projects, her dive…

Welcome to the Ecology Academy podcast hosted by Richard Dodd. In this episode, we delve into the transformative journey of Jon Cranfield, a herpetofauna specialist and director of Herpetologic Limited. Starting from his childhood passion for ecology, we journey through his extensive experience dealing with protected species and examine his commitm…

Welcome to a special series of the Ecology Academy podcast, dedicated entirely to understanding the fascinating world of great crested newts. As spring arrives, we delve into in-depth discussions with leading experts to shed light on this unique species. Over the upcoming weeks, we'll be presenting interviews with established authorities in the fie…

Join us in this informative episode of the Ecology Academy podcast, hosted by Richard Dodd, as we explore the complexities of the rapidly changing world of ecology. We delve deep into recent ecological developments, updated guidelines, new regulations, and the impact of technological advancements on the field. This episode aims to inspire listeners…

***HAPPY NEW YEAR*** In the first episode of 2024 Richard talks about how to maximise getting the hire process right and how to avoid or minimise biases. In the podcast Richard outlines the following key stages: 1. Identifying the Need for a New Role 2. Creating a Detailed Job Description 3. Advertising the Role 4. Screening and Shortlisting Candid…

In this episode Richard interviews Jim Mullholland and talks about veteran trees, bats, training, virtual Preliminary Roost Assessments (PRA's), research into veterinisation of trees and can we do better in looking for bats, plus so much more! Jim observes that since the commencement of the Bat Tree Habitat Key project, our knowledge of tree roosti…

Richard interviews Neil Middleton from BatAbility Courses and Tuition. Together they talk about bats, business and some life tips on how to deliver presentations and overcoming the fear of other people's opinions. Bio Neil has substantial experience in business management, consultancy, people development, training & the associated skills associated…

In this episode Richard talks with Peter Wharton of Wharton Natural Infrastructure Consultants Ltd. on the joys and challenges of leading and managing a small consultancy business. Pete openly talks about his journey, including his education, career and mental health. The conversation discusses the importance of values, resilience and fortitude, di…

A very short episode this month as we all take a well deserved rest after a busy survey season. Richard reflects back and thanks all our wonderful guests for spending time talking about their work and life. Season 3 will commence in October and we are looking for guests and co-hosts for the show. If either of those interest you, then email richard@…

How to Build Skills and Confidence for Life: Coaching and Mentoring In this episode, our host, Richard Dodd, delves into the world of coaching and mentoring, exploring their definitions, roles, applications, and how to choose between the two. We also share success stories and discuss potential challenges in these relationships. Finally, we provide …

The Role of an In-house Ecologist In this interview Richard talks with Rosie about her role as an in-house ecologist. Together they discuss the differences between the role of working as a 'clean' consultant ecologist and those of the in-house 'expert' within a company or organisation. The challenges of working in a creative and visual way, as oppo…

Series 2 Episode 13 On Inside City Hall this episode, Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers discuss: ULEZ - a "major" announcement. The Mayor makes a "major" announcement about ULEZ Scrappage, but it looks more like a rounding error that fails to solve the cost of living impact of the Mayor's charge and still leaves companies playing ULEZ Musical Chairs wit…

Richard talks on today's show with Jeremy Smith on why we should take data seriously. On the show Jez tells us why we need to think and ask more questions to help solve real life problems such as biodiversity loss. Jez Smith Jez is a research ecologist for the British Trust for Ornithology using data analysis to help understand the trends in bird d…

Series 2 Episode 12 On Inside City Hall this episode, Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers discuss: Shawcross review. The Police and Crime Committee looked at the major review of the Prevent anti-terrorism programme. ULEZ. Unusually, not the charge itself but TfL's "computer says no" approach to people trying to pay it. Wennington fire. The London Fire Bri…

In this episode Richard interviews the highly engaging and enigmatic Suzi Cross, Managing Director for Ecosulis. About Suzi Suzi Cross has been Managing Director of Ecosulis Ltd for the last few years, having first joined the company in 2004 as a Senior Administrator. She specialises in Quality, Health and Safety, Employee Engagement and Wellbeing …

In this episode, Richard 'talks' to ChatGPT. He talks about what he's been using ChatGPT for and what it could be used for. What is ChatGPT ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence language model developed by OpenAI. It is designed to process natural language input and generate responses in natural language. It has been trained on a vast corpus of tex…

On today's podcast Richard discusses the opportunities and challenges of a dual-discipline career with his colleague, Misho Baxendale. Misho is a dual-qualified environmental consultant, working across both ecology and arboricultural disciplines working at Wildwood Ecology, based in Stroud. Misho openly discusses the skills needed in both disciplin…

Series 2 Episode 11 This week on Inside City Hall, Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers discuss: People's Question Time. The people want to talk about ULEZ, but the Mayor wants to smear critics as "holding hands with the far right". City Hall Budget. And the Conservative alternative to tackle dirty air and the cost of living. Road Pricing. The Mayor's post…

Series 2 Episode 10 This week on Inside City Hall, Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers discuss: The Mayor's Cost of Living Summit with Martin Lewis the Money Saving Expert does not go as planned when the public bring up ULEZ and Martin thinks they have a point. Then undermines the Mayor's rent control obsession. Blue light shared working, eg police making…

Career exploitation refers to situations in which an employer or work environment takes advantage of an employee for their own benefit, often at the expense of the employee's well-being and long-term career prospects. This can take many forms, such as paying employees less than they deserve, not providing adequate opportunities for growth and devel…

Series 2 Episode 9 This week on Inside City Hall, Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers discuss: - The new ULEZ Scrappage scheme, which launched on Monday, - How Sir Mark Rowley is cleaning up the Met, while the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime may not be helping, - Nick's article on the future of Conservatives in millennial London, - The Night Czar ge…

Series 2, Episode 8. How the Mayor's ULEZ lines crumbled Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers are joined by fellow AM Peter Fortune in the aftermath of an explosive January Mayoral Question Time at which we confronted Mayor Khan with the paper trail showing the Mayor had made false and dishonest statements about his ULEZ consultation. It's been covered by …

We all need to make plans, but more importantly take action in implementing them! This episode is not aimed to help you set goals, but instead it is focused on how to be a better manager. Whether you are a first line manager or a senior executive, we all need the tools to help us support ourselves and others. If you're just starting out, you can do…

Series 2, Episode 7. Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers review the latest news from London and City Hall, in this episode: - Mayor Sadiq Khan's Solar Together plan for home solar panels. Aiming to generate electricity, it's also generated huge numbers of complaints, even the Mayor publicly admitted it had gone wrong. Neil's Audit Panel has investigated a…

Series 2, Episode 6. Neil and Nick are joined in the Windsor Castle pub by special guest Dr Tom Cohen, a Senior Lecturer in transport at the University of Westminster. We discuss: - Childhood transport memories, - Active travel, cycling, e-bikes and e-scooters, - "shared mobility" such as dockless bikes, and why it's not really sharing if you charg…

During this episode, host Richard Dodd interviews Dr Nicholas White, Principal Adviser on Net Gain for Natural England, and discusses what skills we need as ecologists to help deliver Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). We get to hear Nick's insights into the Environment Act and the delivery of BNG, the newly updated biodiversity metric, standards, and gu…

This month’s episode is from a discussion which was recorded as part of a live Q&A session for students at Nottingham Trent University during the delivery of our six-week Career Accelerator for Aspiring Ecological Consultants course for 2nd and final year students studying for a BSc in Wildlife Conservation. Throughout the six weeks, students gaine…

This week on Inside City Hall: - Neil and Nick give their first impressions of Sir Mark Rowley after his first appearance at the Police and Crime Committee, - What to do about Just Stop Oil? What did Sir Mark say when we asked him? - Neil laments attacks on art, will galleries just put everything behind glass like the Mona Lisa? - Sustained questio…

From Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, Neil Garratt AM and Nick Rogers AM look at the big City Hall and London news from the last week. - The Mayor legally summonsed to give evidence to the Assembly about the Tom Winsor report. - ULEZ consultation results were leaked, showing huge public opposition even while Mayor's attempts to hige neg…

Welcome to the first episode in a brand new season of the Ecology Academy podcast! In this month's episode we focus on delivering everything you need to know about the UK Habitat Classification System (UKHab) and why, as a digital ecologist, it matters. Our Guest Our guest on this episode is Paul Losse of Salix Ecology. Paul worked as a Conservatio…

We are taking a well earned break in September before springing back with a brand new season in October 2022. Thank you to all of you for listening throughout the past year (and a bit). It's time for our annual appraisal... so what did you find of most value this season and would like us to do more of in the future? What did not really resonate wit…

A not to be missed interview with Stuart Newson, lead scientist for the BTO Acoustic Pipeline, which brings cutting-edge sound identification of bats and other nocturnal wildlife to your desktop. During the interview, Richard discusses Stuart's love for big data analysis and problem solving and his work with the BTO. We talk about his career profil…

London Assembly Members Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers discuss: - The Met Police being put in "special measures", - The Mayor's ULEZ consultation, - Car ownership patterns across London, including this fascinating map, - The emerging truth about the Mayor's City Hall move. Spoiler: it hasn't gone well, savings are already just half what he claimed, a…

Richard Dodd interviews two students (Rachel Smith and Nina Baranduin) who have just completed their second year Ecology and Conservation degree course at Nottingham Trent University. During the interview we discuss their individual reasons and decision to go to university, their experience of studying under Covid-19 restrictions, placement year op…

London Assembly Members Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers discuss: - TfL fares freeze - Bus cuts consultation - TfL Bailout - Expanding ULEZ to the whole of London - The unreal transport debate in City Hall - The critical importance of economic growth Petition against ULEZ expansion The Mayor's ULEZ consultation Or (much easier) enter the Mayor's consul…

How NOT to quit your job: what you should consider before you leave and what managers should consider helping you stay. Quitting is hard, but for many of us we will do it at least once as part of our career journey. But how do you do it? There is no real guidebook or company policy or procedures, and there are few people you could talk with to disc…

London Assembly Members Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers are joined by fellow AM Andrew Boff to discuss London's 2012 Olympic legacy, 10 years on. Also in the news this week: - Crossrail (finally!) opens on Monday - Why the Mayor's stats on road safety are bogus - Nick asked the Mayor how he'll rebuild trust with the Met Police - Andrew's questions to …

Recorded in March 2022, Richard gets to go outside and records the passionate voice of Emma Williams, the mycological advocate. During the interview Emma introduces us to a few species we found during our time out in a damp woodland near Caerphilly, South Wales, but more importantly about why we should take fungi seriously. We get to talk about the…

Richard Dodd hosts a panel discussion between UK protected species licence holders including: Ash Harris - Principal Ecologist / Director at Ecological Services Ltd (Torfaen) Grace Dooley - Head of Ecology at Environment Systems Ltd (Ceredigion) Tilly Tilbrook - Director at Integrated Ecological Solutions Ltd. (Bristol) Sarah Parkin - Ecologist at …

Neil Garratt AM and Nick Rogers AM are joined by our colleagues Peter Fortune AM and Emma Best AM for our end of season special. Inside City Hall will return for the next civic year in May. In this episode: - We are finally in the new City Hall! But it's still not quite right... - Neil's Economy Ctte reports on Apprenticeships and the gig economy -…

Neil Garratt AM and Nick Rogers AM look at this week's news from London City Hall: - We visit the Met Police Public Order team and learn abour protesters glued to shops, - Nick tries in vain to find out from the Deputy Mayor for Business how tube strikes are affecting business in London, - Neil's Economy Committee report on Tourism in London: somet…

#BehindtheB To celebrate B Corp month Richard gets to discuss many of his passions including beer, biodiversity and, of course, businesses as a force for good. Take away messages include why choosing to buy from and work with B Corps is good for you and the planet and how Stroud Brewery have invested so heavily into brewing organically which benefi…

Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers look at this week's City Hall news, then talk to Allen Simpson from London & Partners about the capital's financial and professional services economy - what are the risks and opportunities it faces? - The Met Police Commissioner resigns - TfL Fares rise 4.8%, shutting the door on the Mayor's fares freeze - Behind the sc…

Richard interviews Neil Davies, Consultancy Manager with TR33 Limited, an environmental company that provides full tree, grounds and estate maintenance services. Neil is passionate about trees and woodland and their function in both the built and natural environment. Drawing on 25 years in the industry, his aim is to provide pragmatic expert advice…

Neil Garratt and Nick Rogers look at the many problems currently facing the Met Police, and Nick speaks to Nickie Aiken MP, Member of Parliament for the Cities of London and Westminister. - Child Sexual Exploitation and treating children as victims, - The IOPC report into shocking "banter" messages, - The Stephen Port murders, - and "putting the Co…

A Happy New Year to you all. In this first episode of 2022 Richard Dodd talks about how identifying good and bad habits can help you achieve more in 2022. Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/atomic-habits-the-life-changing-million-copy-1-bestseller/9781847941831?aid=2999 The Myth of Multitasking by Dave Crenshaw: https://uk.…

The final episode of 2021 and Richard reflects back on the guests we have chatted with over the past six months! In this episode Richard talks about the top 5 downloads of the year and what to expect in 2022, before offering up advice on how to achieve your one BIG goal for 2022. Thank you to you all for listening - this podcast really is for you, …