After leaving school I trained as a gamekeeper on a private Norfolk estate that focused  on wild game production, wildlife management, commercial farming and forestry. This gave me a good grounding into how to marry practical conservation work with farming and forestry interests in an SSSI environment.

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After ten years in this role, I became head gamekeeper at Ixworth Thorpe in Suffolk where I applied my skills and knowledge to a variety of wildlife management challenges. These included reviving derelict plantations, representing wildlife interests and creating a network of in-field strips that eventually became a CSS scheme - all within a commercial farming enterprise.  I received a Purdey Special Award in 2018 for recognition of my success with these projects.