Lewis is the second of our two successful candidates from our recent Project Officer recruitment, and joined us towards the end of November. Read his introductory interview below - you can also read Jack's here.
Hi Lewis, tell us about yourself.
Hi, I’m Lewis, one of the new Project Officers at the Crichton Carbon Centre. I have a passion for all things nature but am most happy out hillwalking or traipsing through a bog. Prior to this I have spent most of my conservation career as an Upland Ranger helping to conserve some of Britain’s best loved peaks and have been working with peatlands for the past two years.
What inspired you to pursue a career in conservation?
I think my inspiration came from being outdoors a lot as a child and developing a connection with nature. From then it’s been a natural progression for me to try and pursue a career where I have the opportunity to make a difference in its conservation.
You’ve had a prior role where you’ve been involved with peatlands – what will you bring from that role to CCC?
One thing I have learned working in this sector is that it’s very fluid and there are always new developments and ideas so although I have some background in managing and developing restoration projects I still learn new things every day and I really enjoy that aspect.
What is it about peatlands that inspires or motivates you to work with them?
I think my fascination with peatlands started when I was younger, out walking with my family in the North West of Scotland. The first time I saw a tree sticking out of a bog I was hooked! Since then I’ve studied them out of a personal interest and that has developed into where I am now. They are only recently getting the recognition they deserve in terms of ecosystem services so it’s a very exciting time to be involved in their conservation.
What are you looking forward to about your role?
I’m really looking forward to working with such an experienced team and getting involved in designing and managing restoration projects. I’m also looking forward to working with partner organisations and getting involved with the other work the Carbon Centre does to promote sustainability.
The team at Crichton Carbon Centre is excited to welcome Lewis - we have a lot of exciting projects in the works that we can't wait to get stuck into with him. We hope he settles in well.