“During our work together Adam has always behaved in a professional manner and conducted himself in a way that is appropriate to his role on site. He maintains good working relationships with personnel at all levels and shows respect for all of his colleagues regardless of their role or level of seniority.
He maintains a high standard in his own work and encourages others to do the same. He readily provides coaching and mentoring for less experienced members of the team whenever required but also is not afraid to challenge unsafe or unprofessional behaviour in others. He uses his knowledge and experience to seek pragmatic solutions to problems and it is clear that he likes to see a job done safely and efficiently.
Adam understands the purpose and importance of the risk assessment process and is able to competently risk assess complex tasks and problems in a structured way, finding safe and practical solutions to get the job done. He also continues to assess in a dynamic way during operations so that methods can be adapted to suit the conditions at hand and minimise the risk of incident or injury, welcoming input from all members of the team to achieve this.
His background in arboriculture has been invaluable during our work together as tree climbing bat ecologists as he has a wealth of knowledge and experience that cannot be achieved purely from traditional ecology work. His willingness to share his knowledge without ego or unnecessary competitiveness helps to raise the standards of the whole team, promoting a safer working environment and empowering less experienced colleagues to undertake their own risk assessments more effectively.
It is clear to me from our work together that Adam takes pride in his work and feels strongly that any task should be undertaken to a high standard. He completes any task to the best of his ability and contributes ideas and suggestions when he can see potential problems or a more efficient, safer or more cost-effective method.
Adam understands the value of training both for himself and others and continually seeks to improve his own knowledge. He also shares his own knowledge and experience freely in a way that is intended to empower others rather than intimidate or condescend, recognising that improving competence and confidence of individuals benefits not just the team on site that day but our industry as a whole.
Adam understands the importance of a safe working environment and has the knowledge and experience to risk assess complex climbing and felling operations to find a safe method of working. His background in arboriculture has given him a depth of knowledge about the practicalities and hazards of working in and around trees that many tree-climbing ecologists lack. This enables him to proactively identify and avoid many potential hazards, but also the ability to assess more effectively in a dynamic way during operations and recognise when methods or equipment may need to be adapted to suit changing conditions.
Adam has the confidence to challenge unsafe behaviour and during our work together on site has halted operations as and when necessary until a safe working environment can be restored.
Adam is one of the most knowledgeable bat ecologists that I have worked with in relation to tree surveys, with his background in arboriculture providing a depth of knowledge about tree structure and formation of PRFs that most non-climbing ecologists lack.
It is also clear to me that he has a good understanding of different survey techniques and equipment beyond just climbing inspections, including technology such as IR and thermal imaging that are still relatively new to our industry.
I have full confidence that Adam is able to plan and undertake a wide range of different bat surveys and understands the equipment, methods and personnel that would be most appropriate to achieve the survey aims. His reporting whether verbally or using field data collection apps is accurate and concise so that he is able to communicate effectively the findings of his surveys. He is also able to use that data competently to assess the likely impacts of an activity and identify requirements for further surveys, mitigation/compensation or licensing.
Adam’s enthusiasm for ecology and the environment is obvious when you spend time on site with him and it is apparent to me that he enjoys helping others to development an interest in the natural world, improve their understanding of bats or learn a new survey skill.
He is always willing to take the time to explain or show a contractor on site when he has found something interesting, particularly if it is something they would not ordinarily have an opportunity to see, and this really helps to foster enthusiasm and increase awareness amongst non-ecologists. He is also very good at coaching the less experienced members of the ecology survey team, helping them to develop their own skills and knowledge and providing the support to enable them to see and experience things first-hand in the field.
Adam’s wealth of industry knowledge and experience combined with his professionalism and approachable personality make him an effective leader. He is friendly and respectful to all personnel on site, regardless of their role or seniority and his enthusiasm is infectious so that people naturally follow his lead.
Adam seems to be a manager who understands that the leader is an integral part of the team rather than placing himself above it in a position of superiority. He works with his team, leading by example but also giving individuals the opportunity to experience and learn for themselves when it is safe and appropriate to do so. He encourages cohesion with his team by empowering each of them to improve their own confidence and competence rather than enforcing a strict hierarchy that could foster resentment or feel discouraging. All of this means that Adam is able to create and lead a team that works efficiently and effectively to get the job done.”