Life as a Ranger

Written by Phil Maund

Phil is a former student of Cornwall College Newquay, studying an FdSc in Applied Ecology in 2012. Last Winter he started a new job role on the Isles of Scilly, with the Wildlife Trust, working as a Ranger.    
________________________________________________

Amidst breath-taking views of rugged Atlantic coast, the cool sea air easing in from the West, we clamber over granite boulders and endless hummocks of pastel-pink thrift flowers. Despite the awesome backdrop, our gaze is firmly on the ground before us lest we trip, or worse step on one of hundreds of carefully prepared seabird nests cradling eggs or fluffy chirping chicks. It’s summer and the land around us is strewn with nests, guano and feathers; we have intruded on an avian world, the likes of which is rare in modern times. We don’t intend on staying long, not merely due to the threat of painful dive-bombing skirmishes from above, but we have a couple of days to count the nests and chicks before leaving these majestic animals in peace.

We are on Annet, in the Isles of Scilly, some 30 miles southwest off the coast of Cornwall. Annet is a small island that is a protected site for seabird breeding colonies, including Great Black-backed Gulls, Shags, Oystercatchers and others. Many of these species are not often seen breeding successfully on mainland Britain, in part due to predation by land predators (such as rats) and disturbance from humans. Fortunately, a highly successful eradication and monitoring project has removed rats from both Annet and neighbouring St. Agnes & Gugh, which has seen a marked recovery of breeding success for seabirds on these islands. Furthermore, humans are prohibited from landing on Annet year-round, to prevent harmful disturbance. We are a small number of lucky individuals with the opportunity to enter their amazing world for a very brief period, in order to survey for the health of the seabird colonies, which will inform nationwide efforts to protect these species.

I work as a Ranger for the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, a small charity based on St. Mary’s, responsible for managing 64% of the land across the islands. The charity have a lease agreement with the Duchy of Cornwall to manage the full range of marine and land habitats, including working to promote and protect the amazing species that reside here. We also carry out a wide range of public activities such as guided walks and beach cleans, removing a whopping 3.5 tonnes of debris from the coastline in 2018 alone.

 My role is to work with the other rangers in managing the habitats, surveying populations of our target wildlife communities, organising our friendly herd of cattle and keeping 30 miles of footpaths open and accessible year-round. My work is incredibly varied, from surveying seabird nests to coppicing wetland trees, setting up fencing for our grazing and clearing ancient archaeological burial sites. We experience the beauty of the Isles throughout the seasons and enjoy spectacular panoramic views on nearly every day of work. 

In the summer, we see the Isles in all their glory and our work helps others to enjoy them, with tourism being central to the local economy. In the winter, conditions can certainly be testing as we are often battered by raging winds and squalls of rain but this is all part of the job for a ranger. We take the highs with the lows in the hope of helping our precious wildlife through our work. 

Having made a drastic career change from trying to become a professional musician, I began studying with Cornwall College in Newquay on an FdSc in Applied Ecology back in 2012. I graduated three years later with a full Honours degree and this enabled me to begin my career in conservation. The skills and knowledge I developed throughout my course are frequently called upon in my current job, including the surveying techniques for a full range of wildlife.

Back on Annet, we finish our seabird nest counts as quickly as we can, to avoid unnecessary disturbance to the devoted parents circling overhead and their offspring. Our work isn’t quite finished, though, as we then survey for the vocal calls of two fascinating species, the Manx Shearwater and the Storm Petrel, both of which nest in cavities under rocks and in burrows under the ground, much like their well-beloved Puffin neighbours.

All of the data we collect informs our grasp of the national and local trends of these seabird populations and there are certainly winners and losers. Worryingly, modern times are seeing an increasingly frequent abundance of losers in the fight for species survival. As we leave the islands, watching our feet as we go, every other step is punctuated by a distinct hollow crunching sound which betrays a disturbing truth. Beneath these granite boulders and endless hummocks of pastel-pink thrift flowers are strewn countless objects of various shapes and sizes, dumped by the surrounding sea and winds, nearly all formed of plastic. This truth beneath the surface of an otherwise incredible and majestic wild world underlines the importance of nature conservation in our times and for the future, making the work of Rangers vital.

For more information on the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, visit ios-wildlifetrust.org.uk or find us on social media.