With International Women’s Day on the horizon, we’re celebrating the unique strengths and skills that helped develop paths into a career at a rivers charity. Like rivers themselves, entering the field can follow a wiggly path with obstacles and with no two rivers alike – the same can be said about careers in environmental jobs.
Wanting to pay it forward, we’re sharing a few examples of women working for Trent Rivers Trust and their paths into the sector.
Emily Richardson, Environmental Project Officer
I work on an exciting variety of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and river restoration projects across the Trent catchment. I am involved in project scoping, surveys, modelling, monitoring, and reporting—getting to do a bit of everything while working as part of a wider team to help build resilience in our catchments.
What kind of skills do you need to succeed in your career?
Initiative, good communication, and, most importantly, enthusiasm!
What has helped you build a career in the environmental sector?
Learning from the people around you – Every new situation is an opportunity for learning. No two projects are ever the same, and that diversity of experience is one of the most powerful tools in building a career. Everyone has a unique way of learning. Find the style that works best for you, and embrace it! For me, hands-on experience and learning by doing have been incredibly effective. The conservation sector, in particular, thrives on community and collaboration—building a network of people who are genuinely supportive can be a game-changer in your career.
How would you describe your path into the sector?
Having always loved the outdoors, I completed a Geography BSc, followed by a Master’s of Research at the University of Nottingham. Through my studies, I discovered a passion for freshwater environments, largely influenced by the people who taught me and the landscapes I had the opportunity to survey. A rough couple of months followed while trying to find employment during the 2020 lockdown, but I eventually managed to secure a fixed-term role with the Wildlife Trust, working with volunteers. I took on some additional seasonal ecology work to enhance my CV and gain more practical skills. I learned a lot from my time at the Wildlife Trust, and this experience ultimately helped me secure an interview with the Trent Rivers Trust. My advice would be to go with the flow as much as you can. Get a foot in the door—don’t worry if it’s not the ‘right’ door to begin with. You can find your way from there!
Any advice for anyone looking to build/change into a career in the sector?
Take your time, use your network to learn as much as you can, and be unashamedly enthusiastic about the things that you enjoy! We are all working towards making a positive impact, but meaningful change requires actively promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion—not only within the Rivers Trust movement, but across the entire conservation sector. This is essential to ensure equal access to nature and career opportunities for everyone.
Ruth Needham, Head of Landscape and Partnership
What kind of skills do you need to succeed in your career?
Pragmatism, listening, advocating and good technical knowledge
What has helped you build a career in the environmental sector?
I have a passion for wildlife, and for me, I have always had a focus on rivers and wetlands wanting to make an positive impact on these places through my work. I also have a desire to make the world a better place, and for our society to become more sustainable.
How would you describe your path into the environmental sector?
After my masters I did some volunteering which led to my first paid employment with an environmental body. I’ve worked for a range of different types of organisations that are involved in conservation. I’ve been fortunate to learn a lot and been inspired by real experts throughout my career so far.
Any advice for anyone looking to build/change into a career in the sector?
Get some experience and knowledge about land management and basic ecology, and species identification. Talk to people, farmers, planners, ecologists; discover their perspective. I also recommend being a volunteer for a while, if you can manage it.
Vanessa Sumpmann, Communications Officer
What kind of skills do you need to succeed in your career?
Initiative, collaboration, storytelling and curiosity
What has helped you build a career in the environmental sector?
I started out in a field that had very little to do with the environmental sector! As a progressed in my marketing career, I craved a role that would allow me to enthuse about a topic I felt passionate about and then decided to develop sustainability and environmental skills – a move that saw me return to uni- needing hype myself up for being one of the only mums and person with no STEM background in the course. I then managed to secure a role due to my background in marketing and my environmental knowledge.
Any advice for anyone looking to build/change into a career in the sector?
It’s ok if you do not start out with a job that is directly relevant to the environmental sector. You are building valuable skills that can be transferred and applied in the field. Finance, HR, Marketing are all vital functions in the environmental sector – so build those skills and think of your first career moves as stepping stones toward a relevant skillset.
Interested in a career at Trent Rivers Trust? Don’t miss out on updates and job adverts and subscribe to our newsletter>
