- Town or countryside?
Town – with lots of green spaces
- Summer or winter?
Winter – but my favourite seasons are Autumn and Spring
- Early bird or night owl?
Night owl
- Outdoor or indoors?
Outdoor
- Plants or animals?
Animals
- What species is closest to your heart and why?
I’ve always had a fascination with waders, particularly Lapwings due to their interesting call and distinctive features. I enjoy visiting Keyhaven and Lymington marshes and seeing the array of wading birds inhabiting there. It is always so exciting when I manage to spot a Lapwing thriving in its natural habitat, especially due to their huge decline in numbers over recent decades. It is even more thrilling to see when their young have successfully fledged and small dots of fluffy speckled brown, grey and white are dotted across the marshland.
I have also been lucky enough to have seen a sloth in its natural habitat, having a nap on the top of a tree by the riverside in South America. This is such a happy memory for me and I always break into a ginormous smile when I think about this weird but wonderful creature!
- What is your favourite Greater London open space and why?
This is completely dependent on the time of year! Richmond Park is my favorite during Spring, especially the Isabella Plantation, as it is absolutely magical when the Azaleas blossom into full-fledged colour! Summer is the best season to visit the lake at Crystal Palace Park and observe the iconic 19th Century Dinosaur sculptures, or if you are after the perfect picnic spot Queen’s Park is ideal. Hampstead Heath reminds me of a crisp Autumn/Winter morning walk, I love when the leaves start to fall and the woods turn orange.
Left: Isabella plantation in full bloom. Middle & right: Hampstead Heath woodland and Parliament Hill © Emily Hawkes
- What has been your most formative experience working with the natural environment? And what did you learn then that you keep with you today?
I have a fascination with ornithology and have relished any opportunity to identify and record diverse avian species across novel landscapes. I especially enjoyed conducting a bird survey focused on Oystercatchers and Curlews as part of a research project in the stunning Castlemaine Harbour, Kerry — even with the daily challenge of herding cows away from the bird hide each morning! Additionally, my participation in research at Taricaya Eco Reserve, Peru, allowed me to record the diverse and expansive range of bird species from a stunning lookout high above the tree canopy. This experience was made even more memorable when we recorded a new species for the area—the Three-striped Flycatcher.
Left: Views of Castlemaine Harbour, Kerry. Right: Tree canopy views of Taricaya Eco Reserve, Peru. © Emily Hawkes
- What is your role at GiGL?
As GiGL’s Nature Recovery Data Officer, I work alongside the Greater London Authority to help deliver London’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). This entails identifying, collating and integrating key spatial datasets to produce a robust evidence base that can help accomplish successful delivery of the LNRS. We have also been working closely with London’s Local Authorities to update our SINC and proposed SINC datasets for inclusion in the LNRS.
London is one of 48 areas in England preparing a Local Nature Recovery Strategy. “Each local nature recovery strategy will agree priorities for nature recovery and propose actions in the locations where it would make a particular contribution to achieving those priorities” (LNRS Policy paper, June 2023). You can read more about London’s LNRS here.
- What is your most enjoyable GiGL task so far?
I enjoyed contributing to creating the LNRS interactive form and have found it exciting to observe the diverse range of opportunities for nature expansion being submitted via our live interactive map. It has been rewarding to help enhance stakeholder engagement with the LNRS and I am eager to continue to support widespread input from a variety of voices.
- What made you want to work for a Local Environmental Records Centre?
My love for nature and commitment to developing data-driven approaches that benefit our environment makes GiGL the ideal workplace for me. I’ve always aspired to work in the environmental sector, and through my studies and experience in scientific publishing, I’ve seen firsthand how strong evidence can drive positive change. Working for a Local Environmental Records Centre provides the ideal platform to further develop my technical data skills and implement these to help enhance greenspaces across a city very close to my heart – the perfect combination!
- London has a lot to offer someone looking to learn more about wildlife and open spaces. What one thing would you advise people to explore?
London is known for being one of the greenest cities in the world and provides endless opportunities for exploration. I would urge others to venture into green spaces with a flora and fauna ID book and discover the vast number of species you can encounter. Wildlife centers scattered across London also provide a valuable resource of knowledge and expertise, for example the WWT London Wetland Centre is a prime place to learn about the importance of wetland habitats and the diverse species that inhabit them. There’s also a vast number of London-based charities and organisations dedicated to making London greener and preserving our local wildlife. Checking which volunteer opportunities are available to you is a great way to get stuck in!
