A day in the life of an Education Ranger

James Chubb

My name is James Chubb. I am an Education Ranger and I work in the Countryside team at East Devon District Council. I have worked for the Council in this role for 5 years.

Ever since I was about 7 years old I have dreamed of being a naturalist. My grandmother bought me Gerald Durrell’s exquisite book The Amateur Naturalist and I have been hooked ever since. I grew up in the foothills of the Mendips and spent my time ‘up on the hill’ exploring the hazel woods, limestone grassland and heather upland of the west Mendips. I had collections of everything and anything that I found, including a much loved badger skull, dormouse hazelnuts and a fox skeleton. I found the fox carcass in a gateway and ran back to my house with it over my shoulder, I think I was about 13 at that time!

I read Biology and Media at Royal Holloway, a rather odd combination, but one which suited me perfectly. My first job was more on the communications line than conservation, working in London as a Press Officer for an industrial holdings company; however a year in this role taught me how to write and gave me an insight into the world of PR.

I moved to Devon to take up the role of Publications Officer for the Devon Wildlife Trust, and found the world in which I wanted to function. Putting together the Trust magazine Wild Devon was the perfect excuse to get out and about through the County and involve myself in various events and activities, an opportunity I grabbed with both hands.

I quickly realised that I was happier out of the office, rather than in it, and when the role of Education Ranger was advertised at East Devon District Council I jumped at it feet first. Competition was understandably fierce for this wonderful job, but I was able to convince Countryside Service Manager, Charlie Plowden, that I was the right person for the job. What started as a two-year fixed term contract was made a permanent feature of the Countryside Service in 2005 and, since then, I have broadened my workload through my inability to say “No” to projects I find interesting.

I am a very ambitious person and the most satisfying part of my job is that it fulfils a boyhood dream, and that young boy is still very much a part of my personality! I can’t resist dipping a net in a stream, or rolling over a log in a woodland.

While filming the Food 4 Thought educational film last year, the Producer described me as having “wildlife Turret’s” as I tend to blurt out apparently random statements; “Buzzard… listen – willow warbler… badger, look!”

It may be a cliché, but there really is no such thing as a typical day – that is what makes the role so interesting. At this time of year I could be leading a group of school children round the Exe Estuary finding shrimps, fish and lugworms; while a few weeks ago I was cooking Michael Caines’ beef burgers on the Education Stage at the Festival of South West Food and Drink!

My favourite day however is one where I ‘have’ to warden a Local Nature Reserve, spending time by myself in somewhere like Holyford Woods, keeping an eye on things and learning as much as I can about the plants and animals that live there. It takes me about two hours to walk a short two mile circuit in there at this time of year, as every step reveals another wonderful glimpse of the natural world.

This morning for example two buzzards were displaying overhead so close to me that I could hear the wind ripping at their wings as they swooped and turned – awesome!

Page last updated on 7 November 2008