Having already had a career in IT support and delivery, I was a mature student when I decided it was time for a change. Switching from IT to the environmental field has been a game-changer for me. I wanted my career to reflect my love for the environment and the natural world. While IT delivery gave me solid technical and analytical skills, my heart has always been set on environmental conservation. My recent degree in Environmental Geography, along with my passion for GIS and data analysis, has only strengthened my resolve to contribute to sustainable solutions and make a real impact in conservation and the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.

During my degree, I dove deep into GIS, especially with QGIS, and even tackled remote sensing data and analysis. I didn't stop there—I took it upon myself to learn more about PostgreSQL/PostGIS for data management and spatial analysis. Plus, I got some hands-on experience volunteering with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust on a GIS project at Wheldrake Ings in North Yorkshire. Mapping and analysing cattle GPS collar data and habitat types for grazing was a very rewarding experience.

Through my studies and research projects, including my dissertation, I immersed myself in topics like environmental and climate change, sustainability, biodiversity loss, and carbon budgets. Fieldwork was a lot of fun, and I got to test out various in-field data capture GIS tools like Qfield, UKHab, and Mergin Maps.

These experiences fuelled my passion for maps and my belief in GIS and spatial analysis as powerful tools for environmental governance. I’m confident that my previous work experience and recent studies have equipped me with the skills needed for this new career, and I’m eager to bring my enthusiasm and expertise to this field. 

(I would like to thank Helen of HelenMakesMaps for her wonderful site and blog, which I have found both inspirational and extremely useful when creating this portfolio).