By Jacqui Gamack
I was obsessed with animals and pets from an early age. I wanted all of the weird pets and love the outdoors. I never thought I’d be a corporate person who sits in an office all day (even though that’s a lot of what I do now!)
I did a degree in Zoology at university and then began my career in a medical research lab, working with animals to test drugs for dementia and cancer studies with rats and mice. It was a good insight into that world. And while people think it sounds terrible, you realise how important it is in protecting and sustaining human life.
Finding the balance between indoors and outdoors
I missed the diversity of being in an office and able to work outdoors, and started as a subcontractor ecologist, did all my training. I was involved in fauna spotting which is good for experience (in fact I think most people should experience front line ecology), however, it was also challenging to be front and centre with the animals in a construction site, in close proximity to heavy machinery and dealing with all of the safety issues that brings.
The contract wasn’t very stable, and when I saw the job at E2M, I jumped at the chance. And two days later, I was out on a mine site spotlighting for ornamental snake.
Should I be herping?
I’ve always had a bit of imposter syndrome because I work with people who are obsessed with something in ecology. From being experts in specific species to fully blown botanists, people who go herping in their spare time and technical people with a love of all things data, we have them all at E2M. But I don’t fit into a single category. I like everything we do.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given in your career?
It’s taken me a while, and some mentoring from our COO to realise that it’s ok to be a generalist, There’s a place for everyone in ecology!