Darwin Ecology Ltd

03/11/2026

During our badger sett monitoring surveys, we sometimes spot other mammals making use of these underground refuges. This stoat was recorded on multiple occasions on site!
Stoats are small members of the mustelid family, related to weasels and otters. They can be recognised by their orangey-brown coats and distinctive black-tipped tails.

Even when badger setts are no longer in use by badgers, they can remain valuable to local wildlife. These underground networks provide important refuges, sheltered microhabitats and protection from temperature extremes. As well as stoats, other mammals such as foxes, rabbits, wood mice and voles may also use badger setts, highlighting their importance for biodiversity.

A great reminder that wildlife habitats can support far more species than we might expect!

27/10/2026

It’s ! Here are some bats we’ve found and appreciated this year at Darwin Ecology 💚🦇

Did you know a single insect-eating bat can consume 1,000 to 3,000 insects in a single night? And some species can catch up to 1,000 small insects in just one hour! That’s a lot fewer mosquitoes, thanks bats!

21/10/2026

Today is !

Here at Darwin Ecology, we have seen all sorts over the years from protected smooth snakes to melanistic slow worms. We love reptile surveys, you can get up close and personal with some beautiful animals

20/10/2026

End of season party! 🦇

On Friday we had our end of bat season party, a time for us to unwind now that our night work is complete. We did bowling , shuffle, and a quiz (including a round of “Mike mimes animals”). There was a wonderful curry supplemented with alcohol and good times were had by all!

Now back to work to deliver reports, roof strips, and yet more habitat walkovers!

19/10/2026

06/10/2026

To celebrate National Badger Day, we are looking at badger survey techniques!

While in some of our jobs we use state of the art camera technology, sometimes good old-fashioned tape on a stick works just as well!

One way of monitoring badger activity is to look for sett entrances, footprints, and feeding signs. When you find a sett entrance, you can wedge a stick at the top of entrance, and apply very sticky tape. By doing this we can collect guard hairs off a badger’s back. Sometimes you are lucky and the badger makes a set with a conveniently placed tree route at the top of the entrance!

Badger hair is bi-coloured (meaning it is both black and white on one follicle). It is also triangular and does not roll neatly in your fingers. By regularly checking these hair traps we can confirm badger activity without a trail camera.

11/09/2026

📰 N E W S

We've been a bit quiet on here over the summer months whilst our teams have been working extremely hard this bat survey season. So what's new?!

Congrats to both Mike (Director) and Olatz (Principal) who have been successful in gaining their Bat Earned Recognition (Bat ER) Class Licence and can now use this to register sites with roosts of most bat species, including this beautiful Serotine. From 14th December, Bat ER will supersede BMCL.

Senior Ecologist and South East Area Manager, Amanda celebrated her 3 year Darwin-versary and Senior Ecologist Rebecca is applying to CIEEM to become a Chartered Ecologist. It is such a pleasure to work with both of these inspiring female leaders! Several team members were also promoted during their reviews - so well-deserved.

Our Bristol team moved into a bigger, brighter office which we're looking forward to decorating soon, once the peak survey season has concluded. We continue our search for a Senior or Principal level Ecologist to lead and develop our South West team (link in bio if you know who that person might be!)

Here's a round-up of some visual highlights from the summer season 🌻

1. Serotine in Wiltshire
2. Grass snake in Hampshire
3. Brown long-eared feeding perch in Dorset
4. Mike versus Hawk in Devon!
5. Melanistic slow worm in Surrey
6. Grass Vetchling in Somerset

24/07/2026

F I E L D N O T E S 🦇

Director Mike completed another monitoring visit this week, on a standalone bat loft that we supervised construction of 3 years ago.

“One common pip found under the barge board crevices and a good amount of bat droppings scattered through the internal bat loft. It’s great to see our compensation roosts getting used.”

Bespoke and well thought out access points are the key to success, in addition to providing a plethora of different roosting options.

15/07/2026

🌼 J O B O P P O R T U N I T Y 🌼

Senior Ecologists | £34,000–£47,000 or Principal | £47,000 + profit-linked bonus
Shaftesbury (Dorset) or Bristol | Hybrid & flexible working

Shape Your Career Around Your Life

We know that talented, experienced ecologists don't always fit neatly into a 9–5. At Darwin Ecology, flexible and hybrid working isn't a perk we mention in passing — it's built into how we operate. We'll work with you to design a role and schedule that plays to your strengths and fits your life.

Who we're looking for:

You're a skilled, confident ecologist with several years of consultancy experience under your belt. You care deeply about conservation, you're good with clients and organising a team, and you're ready for a role where your expertise is genuinely valued — and where you have real autonomy over your work.

You might be looking for somewhere that offers serious professional challenge without the inflexibility or pressure culture that can come with larger firms. That's exactly what we've built.

You'll bring:

🌼 Solid UK consultancy experience
🌼 A degree in Ecology, Environmental Science, Biology or similar
🌼 Strong report writing and client communication skills
🌼 One or more protected species survey licences (ideally bats but also GCN, dormice, barn owls, or rare reptiles)
🌼 Experience with planning systems, EcIAs, HRAs, or Biodiversity Net Gain
🌼 A UK driving licence and willingness to travel to sites

Even better if you have:

🌼 Mitigation licensing or Named Ecologist experience
🌼 BMCL registration or Earned Recognition credentials
🌼 Management or mentorship experience
🌼 CIEEM membership

What a career at Darwin actually looks like:

We're a well-established, respected consultancy across the south and south west of England, known for thoughtful, conservation-led work across a diverse range of projects. Our teams in Shaftesbury, Bristol and Farnham collaborate closely — it's a collegial culture, not a competitive one.

What we offer:

🌼 Flexible and hybrid working — structured around your needs
🌼 Profit-linked annual bonus
🌼 25+ days annual leave, increasing over time
🌼 Enhanced maternity / paternity pay
🌼 Professional membership fees paid
🌼 Generous training and equipment budget every year
🌼 37.5 hour week with a structured TOIL system
🌼 Pet-friendly offices
🌼 A clear path to grow your specialisms and shape your own role

Why Darwin?

We're small enough that your work genuinely matters, and established enough to offer real stability and a strong reputation. You won't be a cog in a machine here, or spend weeks working away from home — you'll be a named, respected voice on projects you can be proud of.

If you're at a point in your career where you want meaningful work, real flexibility, and a team that champions you — we'd love to hear from you.

Take a look at our website to find out more about what we do www.darwin-ecology.co.uk To apply, send your CV and a covering email to [email protected].

We review applications on a rolling basis, so reach out whenever you're ready, including just for an informal conversation.

30/06/2026

It’s always a pleasure to work alongside the dedicated team behind Friends of Breach Common 🌱