A Scots firm that focuses on large scale land redevelopment and rewilding has hired 20 environmental consultants after a global recruitment drive.
Kaitiaki Consulting, which is based in Scotland and New Zealand, has brought in specialists in forestry, ornithology, botany, soil science and a raft of other key sciences as it ramps up its activities.
The firm says the new recruits will help Scotland’s ambition for a ‘green recovery’ to the coronavirus pandemic. The highly-skilled roles are based across Scotland, the rest of the UK and in New Zealand, and seemingly attracted more than 800 enquiries.
Kaitiaki Consulting is behind the Billion Trees Scotland re-forestation campaign announced earlier this year after the success of a similar mass planting scheme under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government in New Zealand.
Earlier in August, it launched a drive for investors to help in the fight against climate change, with a £100,000 share release.
The firm says it matches environmental need – such as carbon reduction and offsetting – with funding partners. It then finds and develops habitats to plant trees and enhance biodiversity as part of a sustainable cycle.
The firm will be visiting key forestry, conservation and rewilding sites around the country over the next month.
The new consultants include Dr Scott Leatham, a political ecologist who tutors at Edinburgh University; Eleanor Shield, a wildlife biologist and conservationist; and Lewis Pate, an environmental project manager who has focused on white-tailed and golden eagle distribution in north-west Scotland.
Political ecologist Dr Scott Leatham said:
“As local authorities and communities look to rebuild and reconnect, there is increasing evidence that people want to see a green recovery.
“They don’t just want a return to business-as-usual where inequalities are increasing, climate breakdown is accelerating, and a million species are at risk of extinction.”
Wildlife biologist Eleanor Shield said:
“Human activities have caused global warming, which is increasing to dangerous levels.
“This is changing our climate, bringing more frequent extreme weather events and associated environmental and economic crises.
“I have joined Kaitiaki because we have a vision, shared with an increasing number of others, to tackle climate change and with rewilding playing a large part in this.”
Senior ecological consultant Lewis Pate said:
“As our climate changes we see the effects both directly and indirectly on the natural environment around us.
“Developing adaptive solutions to environmental pressures in agriculture is a key part of my work and directly influenced by climate change.
“Native woodland expansion, peatland restoration, habitat restoration and landscape-scale species recovery programmes should all form part of the mix and I believe that a shared vision between like-minded professionals at Kaitiaki can drive these processes forward.”
Alex Foulkes, managing director of Kaitiaki Consulting, said:
“We expected some excellent candidates given the nature of these roles, but we have exceeded even all our hopes. The standard is phenomenally good, and we are very fortunate to have such a high calibre of expertise joining our team.
“Together we will work with businesses, landowners, local authorities and other groups like ours to find a way to embrace the green new deal needed for the post COVID-19 recovery, so we can all play an essential part in reducing carbon emissions.”
