Profile
Lucy Mitchell
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About Me:
I live with my husband and my dog on the north coast of Scotland, close to a town called Thurso – it’s the most northerly mainland town in the UK! I like to go hiking in the mountains, to the beach and I like to go running.
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I really like spending time outdoors, in the fresh air, watching wildlife and taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside.
When the weather is too bad to be outside (it’s very windy up here!), I like to crochet in front of the fire, making anything from small animals to hats and gloves. I like to watch tv and films, and i like to read sci-fi novels in bed.
My husband and I own a small (tiny!!) campervan, which we take on holiday along with our dog Pearl – she is really happy as the only place for her to sleep is in our bed! We like to spend time relaxing at campsites in Scotland, and taking long walks when we go on holiday.
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My pronouns are:
She/ her
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My Work:
I work in ornithological (bird) research – I look at how birds behave in their environment, where they eat, nest, and roost. I use this information to understand how we can help birds that are endangered.
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I often use tracking tags to find out what birds are doing. These are tiny devices – about the size of the top of your little finger – that we stick to the birds’ tails or bodies, that take a GPS signal like a mobile phone, to tell us where the bird is. Some of these tags can tell us how high the bird is flying or what it is doing.
The tags are temporary – and don’t worry, they don’t hurt the birds! They are very small and fall off after a few weeks.
This information is really important to help us understand where the important places are for birds – we can see where they spend the most time and so we can try to protect it, or help to stop harmful threats from hurting the birds.
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My Typical Day:
My typical day starts with being woken up by my dog, Pearl! She wants to get up and play, and have her breakfast, so i get her something to eat and make coffee and breakfast for myself and my husband as well.
I take Pearl for a walk for an hour, then I start work at home, until lunch time, when i go to the office and work until 5pm. I work half the time at home, and half the time in the office, which is really nice.
After work i take Pearl for another walk, and then make our tea, followed by some relaxing tv!
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What I'd do with the prize money:
If I won the £500 prize money, I would make links with schools in northern Scotland, which are often very small, isolated and underfunded. I would like to develop some activities to take into classrooms, to show the process of catching birds, tagging birds and how we use the information, using models and interactive kit.
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Education:
I studied at Wolverhampton Girls High School – I left in 2003 when i was 17 (I was the youngest in my year), after i completed my A-levels.
I had a great group of friends, some of whom i still keep in touch with.
After school i took a year out, and i travelled to Peru, in South America, where i lived in the jungle for 3 months, studying the wildlife there with a group. We spent every day walking through the forest spotting mammals and birds and sometimes climbing trees to get leaves from the top!
In 2004 (until 2007) I started at Manchester Metropolitan University, where I studied Environmental Studies. I loved it and did a wide range of topics such as habitat management and statistics.
After this i spent 5 years working, before going to the University of Liverpool to do a Masters in Conservation and Resource Management, where i really decided i wanted to study birds. This led me to start my PhD at the University of York in 2015, on the European nightjar – an endangered ground-nesting bird that only comes out at night!
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Qualifications:
I gained 11 GCSEs at school (4A*, 5A, 1B) and 3 A-levels and 1 AS level (in French, Art, Geography and Home economics (AS).
For my Undergraduate degree (BSc), I gained a First, and for my Masters, a Distinction.
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Work History:
When I studied at University, I worked in pubs and hotels, to pay for my studies. This was fun, but tiring when studying all day!
After university I trained to be a countryside ranger – someone who looks after nature reserves and public footpaths. I lived in a caravan on a farm and also worked part time in a café serving meals and coffees.
Then I worked for the Wildlife Trust, managing nature reserves in Northamptonshire. I got my chainsaw license and part of my job was cutting down trees that are growing in the wrong place. I also looked after sheep and cows, which graze the grass on the nature reserves to help good meadow plants grow.
After my Masters, i worked for Dundee City Council, looking after the urban woodlands in the city – in Dundee there is the UK’s last remaining urban population of Red Squirrels! These are very important so i worked to manage the woodlands for the squirrels, and also ran guided bird walks and volunteer work parties to engage the local communities.
After my PhD, I did some teaching and research into a new type of bird tracking device called ‘Motus’ – which is the latin word for ‘move’. I worked at the University of Hull for 20 months (nearly 2 years) – unfortunately in this line of work, you don’t often have a permanent job, and have to move to get a good job! That’s why I have worked and lived in so many different places!
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Current Job:
Now, I work in a University in Scotland – the University of the Highlands and Islands or UHI. I work to study how birds interact with renewable energy such as wind turbines and tidal turbines. I also look more generally how birds interact with the sea when they dive, and how they fly around the valuable areas of the countryside such as the Flow Country. This is where I am happiest! I love working in a University, as I also get to teach students (I run a module for 4th year students called Conservation of Biodiversity).
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Employer:
University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
dog-loving ornithologist
What did you want to be after you left school?
Someone who saved the environment!
Were you ever in trouble at school?
only for laughing too much!
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I would run a cafe and bake cakes for people.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
favourite band is called The National
What's your favourite food?
Any kind of thai food - yum!
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
I would wish to always be healthy, and for my dog and my husband to always be healthy - because they are the things that make me happy.
Tell us a joke.
How does a bird with a broken wing manage to land safely? With its sparrowchute!
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