Working with wildlife - An interview with Ajay Tegala!
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Welcome to my series of interviews with some wonderful people who work within the natural world, from zoo keepers, to museum curators and everything in between and those that are on the path to working in these positions too. Be inspired for a future where you can combine your love of nature with your day job. I hope you enjoy these interviews, that you can learn something from them and they can inspire you.
Now let me introduce you to Ajay.....
Name
Ajay Tegala
Age
35
Location
The Cambridgeshire Fens, East Anglia
What do you do?
Ranger at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire (for the National Trust)
How did you get into it?
I loved birds, animals and being outside from a young age. Family walks in the woods, by the river and holidays in the hills. At primary school we learned about the pressure that nature and the environment face. Then, in my very early teens, I learned about nature reserves. My parents suggested I do a week’s work experience with the wardens on a nature reserve, at the age of 15. At the end of the week, I had decided that I wanted to be a warden/ranger. So I followed advice to get lots of voluntary experience and a relevant qualification.
What made you want to do what you do?
I had - and still have - two main motivations: the pleasure of working outside in beautiful places with wildlife and, more importantly, the job satisfaction of being able to make a difference for wildlife... to actually be able to do something positive and meaningful. As I’ve got older, I have developed a third motivation: to share the wonders of nature with as many people as possible.
What does it involve?
Warden/ranger work is very varied. At the heart of it, is practical conservation work, which involves habitat management and wildlife monitoring. Woven into the daily life is also keeping public routes accessible, being a welcoming, friendly face to visitors, leading guided walks and being a good neighbour to other reserves and landowners. At Wicken Fen, we have grazing livestock, so daily checks on their welfare is an important - and very enjoyable - part of the job.
Did you need any qualifications?
The most important skills are dedication and determination. Perhaps the most essential thing is experience, which can be gained through volunteering and spending time with passionate people. A degree is the top requirement, not essential to get all ranger roles, but useful for longer term career development. However, you don’t have to be academic to work in conservation. But the more experience and skills you can acquire, the better the chances of finding work in this very popular profession.
Any tips for a young person that wants to do what you do?
Volunteer! Get involved at your local nature reserve, help with some practical work and surveys, start to learn as much as you can and get to know people with passion and experience they are willing to share - you will soak up so much. Also, push yourself out of your comfort zone a little, try new things - being a ranger involves working with people as well as nature, so try to get some experience in this aspect of the work too.
What is the best part of what you do?
The best part is being able to make a tangible difference for wildlife. For example, creating a new wetland, woodland or meadow; seeing wildlife find a new home and thrive there thanks to the work we have done. And, of course, seeing some great wildlife in the course of doing that work.
What is the worst part of what you do?
It can be tough! Many ranger teams could benefit from more support and funding, and get pulled in all different directions, often doing jobs that can seem a bit mundane or not always directly linked to conservation. As popular as these roles are, I think they are still sometimes a bit undervalued ...and underpaid! But getting rich is not the main motivation, it’s doing something very meaningful for our natural world.
What is your favourite animal?
Labrador! Since I met Millie, the black Labrador at Blakeney in Norfolk, where I started volunteering when I was 19, I’ve loved Labradors; their calmness, loyalty and nature. I always smile whenever I see a Lab and now have one of my own, the lovely Oakley. Being a conservationist and wildlife lover, I of course ensure Oakley does not cause any disturbance, which is so important as a lot of accidental wildlife disturbances are caused by dog-owners!
What was the first animal that you fell in love with?
I used like watching the ducks on the river as a young child, then remember seeing my first grey heron - it looked huge! Much bigger than the ducks, so tall and elegant. Seeing it take flight and beat its wings elegantly, it instantly became my favourite bird and whetted my appetite to become a birdwatcher as I got older.
What is your favourite place in nature?
There are a few quiet spots along the north Norfolk coast that I absolutely adore and always feel happy when I’m there. I love being by water, especially the sea. Watching migratory birds arrive on the coast, having crossed the sea, is awe-inspiring.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, I love being outdoors! I really enjoy running and cycling, and walking with Oakley. I’m also interested in art, history, ancestry, music (classical, country and classic rock) and good food, so can sometimes be found reading and relaxing indoors as well!
If you were not doing what you do now what else would you love to do?
My original plan was to be a graphic designer or illustrator. But I’ve also always secretly dreamed of getting into acting. I love the feeling of putting a show together, performing it and getting a reaction. If I was better at playing guitar and keyboard, I’d love to become a musician and write more songs.
Who inspires you?
I have been most inspired by the wonderful conservationists I have met and worked with over the years. This began with some lovely, experienced conservationists who kindly shared their knowledge and passion with me, helping me start out on my journey. To name a few, Richard Porter, Ed Stubbings, Graham Lubbock and Al Davies in north Norfolk, plus Graham Bell and John Steele in Northumberland, and also Carol Laidlaw, Norman Sills and so many others here in the Fens. More recently, the people that really inspire me are the fantastic young conservationists I have had the pleasure of meeting, there are so many young people with such determination and creativity, fighting to protect and restore our beautiful nature (some of them as young as 11 and even 9), speaking out so articulately at London marches and creating inspirational content on social media. That really gives me hope! To name a few: Henry Day, Benjamin Fallow, Rebecca Bailey, Anneshwar Kunchala, Ramandeep Nijar, Mya Bambrick, Indy Keimel-Greene and Katie Monk.
What are your hopes for the future?
My hope is that - in a world where I often despair about how worryingly low nature and the environment seems to be on political agendas (e.g America!) - we can continue to speak up and fight hard, using our collective passion, spirit, love, belief and determination to further raise the profile of how we simply cannot exist without nature. I’m looking forward to seeing the young and the experienced work together to bring about positive change on a bigger and bigger scale. And, closer to home, my hope is to continue to find creative ways to spread conservation messages, through writing, presenting and interacting with anyone who will listen!
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about?
Sharing is so important. It takes courage to speak up. But sharing your personal experience and motivations to protect nature is so important. There is so much great nature content out there, people sharing their stories and inspiring others, or even just helping them find ways of accessing and experiencing nature. Part of my personal mission is reaching people who don’t think nature is ‘for them’ - because nature is for everyone, regardless of age, upbringing, background and situation. Whether it be through social media content, books, podcasts, talks, walks or live shows. Creativity is so important - and I’m always open to new collaborations, so feel free to get in touch with any projects I might be able to help with.
Where can people find you?
@AjayTegala on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok etc.
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