Sam Hayes on the ever-changing world of invasive species

How have you progressed in your time at APEM?

I joined APEM as a graduate scientist working in Natural Capital and BNG. Surrounded by a close-knit team, this role helped me find my footing in the world of consultancy. I enjoyed the freedom to work on a variety of projects gaining multi-disciplinary experience, always being supported in my desire to grow my technical skills beyond my immediate job role.

Having had the chance to engage in invasive species work, I joined the INNS team in summer 2022. Since then, I have engaged in many projects based in the UK and EU, across a variety of habitats and environments, providing high quality innovative products and services to our clients. My knowledge of the environmental landscape in the UK, particularly from an aquatic sense, has increased tenfold; and my progress as a young professional within the industry has been supported from day one by APEM. I am looking forward to many more opportunities to continue enhancing my knowledge and expertise into the future.

What’s the best thing about your work area?

The non-native species work area in the UK is growing at an astounding rate providing me with a dynamic and ever-changing job role. Many of the challenges I face on a day-to-day basis require innovative, out-side of the box thinking to provide a suitable output for the client. The work allows me to engage with academic literature, government policy, and open data sources to inform our work, and provides me with a host of experience in aquatic, terrestrial, and marine environments.

What it is like working for APEM?

As my first job in the environmental sector, for me APEM has been an excellent basis to experience many elements of environmental consultancy, allowing me to discover and pursue the work I enjoy doing. APEM supports my desire to develop my skillset beyond the immediate technical elements of my job, being engaged in the wider business including other work sectors, project management, sales, and marketing.

The science of invasive species detection, management and mitigation is developing at speed. How do you think INNS will affect your work in the future?

The impact of INNS is continuing to grow in profile at both a national and international scale. Public and private bodies are, more than ever, taking action to map the distribution, understand the impacts, and implement measures to control and eradicate INNS within their spheres of influence. This will continue to accelerate the industry, developing technologies and techniques throughout all elements of INNS management. I expect that focus will increasingly point towards understanding the impact of non-native species (both positive and negative), and how these impacts can be monetarily estimated in an accurate and robust way.