Mark is a Senior Ecologist with nine years of consultancy experience. He joined UES in 2018 as a Graduate Ecologist after completing his Masters degree in Biological Sciences at Durham University. Alongside a wide range of ecological surveys, including protected species, botanical and habitat surveys, Mark prepares ecological reports, Biodiversity Net Gain assessments, Ecological Impact Assessments, ecological management plans and other planning documents. He also leads a small team of ecologists and carries out technical reviews and quality assurance of reports produced by colleagues and subcontractors.
Mark is a full member of CIEEM (MCIEEM) and has extensive experience surveying for protected species. He holds a Natural England barn owl survey licence and level 2 bat and great crested newt survey licences. He also holds bat and great crested newt licences in Wales and Scotland, and is working towards obtaining a Natural England level 1 dormouse survey licence. In his own time, Mark volunteers with a local barn owl group monitoring boxes and ringing chicks. He also volunteers with local bat groups and regularly attends hibernation checks for horseshoe bats in North Devon.
Mark has a broad area of interest across different ecological areas, but with a particular expertise in bat ecology. He leads a variety of bat surveys including preliminary roost assessments, bat presence / absence surveys, and ground-level and aerial tree assessments. He also leads in the production of European Protected Species mitigation licences and acts as an Accredited Agent on these licences.
Mark is a qualified NPTC Level 2 tree climber enabling him to undertake aerial inspections and rescues. He possesses a CSCS card, has undergone asbestos awareness, National Water Safety Management and emergency first aid training, and has PA1, PA6 AW & INJ qualifications for the hand-held application of pesticides.