About William…

William Heap graduated in 2023 with a BSc in Geography from Manchester’s School of Environment, Education and Development. He then opted to continue his studies with an MSc in Environmental Monitoring, Modelling, and Reconstruction. He now works as a Biodiversity Officer at JSR Farms in East Yorkshire, one of the largest family farms in the UK.

The present – where has William’s Geography degree taken him?

What is your current role and what does it involve?

As a Biodiversity Officer, my role involves carrying out ecological surveys and Biodiversity Net Gain work for internal and external clients. I also manage our 43 hectare Biodiversity Bank Site, the Chalkstream Sanctuary. I provide ecological advice and deliver habitat creation and management focused on supporting nature, especially wading birds.

How did your BSc Geography degree help prepare you for this role in biodiversity and ecology?

My degree gave me a strong foundation in ecology, survey techniques and data analysis. I use those skills daily in my role as a Biodiversity Officer. It also developed my critical thinking, report writing and communication skills. These skills are essential when working with clients and advising on issues like habitat management and Biodiversity Net Gain.

Additionally, I cannot discount the confidence my degree supplied me with. That confidence is invaluable to everything I do.

What has your career path looked like since graduation?

After graduating, I set out to work in environmental consultancy and completed an MSc to strengthen my technical and analytical skills.

My career path was not entirely straightforward at first! But I ultimately found myself in a role that combines consultancy work with hands-on habitat creation and ecosystem restoration. I had not expected this type to role to exist, and it turned out to be the best of both worlds.

I now manage and deliver practical conservation projects. I’m also designing and collecting data for a research project on the success of wader scrapes at our site. The research skills developed during my degree directly inform how I design, monitor and evaluate this work.

The past – how did Geography shape William’s journey?

Are there any moments from your Geography degree that were especially influential for you? Did anything especially inspire your focus on ecology and conservation?

One particularly influential moment during my degree was taking the Green Planet module, taught by Will Fletcher.

Before studying Green Planet, I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to take. That module sparked a deeper interest in ecology and how natural systems function and respond to change. It helped shift my focus from geography to focus on ecological processes, which ultimately shaped my academic and career path.

What skills or expertise are you really glad you gained from studying Geography? How have they helped?

Research design and critical thinking have proved especially helpful since graduating. They both underpin my consultancy work and the practical monitoring habitats, allowing me to make evidence-based decisions and demonstrate real ecological outcomes accurately.

Was the University of Manchester able to help you along that career path after you graduated?

I used the University’s Careers Service to discuss potential career paths and next steps after graduation. The advice helped give me some structure and direction at a time when I was exploring different options within the environmental sector.

What has surprised you in life after graduation? Has your career pathway taken any unexpected turns?

One of the most unexpected aspects of my journey was that my current role came from talking to a guy when working behind a bar, whilst also doing bat activity surveys.

We ended up having a conversation about my passion for ecology and conservation. Through that conversation, I was able to articulate my interests and skills with confidence, which ultimately led to a role being created around them.

The future – what change will this Geography graduate make?

What are the next steps for your career? What do you hope to accomplish in the future?

In the near future, I want to continue developing my expertise in Biodiversity Net Gain and applied ecological consultancy, while expanding the scale and impact of practical habitat restoration projects. I’m particularly interested in using robust monitoring and research to demonstrate what works in real-world conservation, including ongoing work with wet grassland and wader habitats.

Longer term, I hope to help shape evidence-based approaches that balance development with meaningful ecological recovery.

What is one piece of advice you’d like to give to current and aspiring Geography students? Is there anything you wish someone had told you while you were a student?

One thing I’d encourage students to do is make the most of the social side of university in Manchester as well as the academic side.

Building confidence through conversations, societies and shared experiences can be just as important as technical skills, and those connections can lead to opportunities in unexpected ways. Looking back, I wish I’d engaged more in that side, as it’s something that ultimately helped me into my current role.

You can find out more what it’s like to be a Geography student (and read more profiles from students and alumni) on the Geography Student Stories page.

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