At Embankment Group, we speak with hundreds of ecologists every month and the feedback is consistent: ecology is an incredibly rewarding sector but long, physically demanding and often unsociable hours, particularly for junior staff, have a significant impact on retention.

Fatigue affects both physical and mental well-being. Carrying equipment for fieldwork, enduring long journeys and working extended hours can lead to exhaustion, stress and burnout. Mental fatigue also affects concentration, decision-making and data accuracy, adding pressure to already demanding roles.

When ecologists consistently feel overworked, job satisfaction declines and the likelihood of leaving increases. This is a frequent reason ecologists turn to Embankment Group for career support and recruitment assistance.

High staff turnover poses particular challenges in ecology, especially on large infrastructure projects requiring long stays away from home and limited opportunities for learning and development. Recruiting and training new staff is time-consuming and costly and projects can suffer when the right expertise is unavailable.

Addressing fatigue is essential for retaining staff but how are companies tackling this issue?

Many businesses have found that a robust ecology focused TOIL scheme is essential. The best schemes allow ecologists to rest when they need to even during the peak survey season.

Forward-thinking companies are also engaging freelance ecologists on a day rate or ‘price per job’ basis. This approach underpins their TOIL scheme, allowing staff to rest when needed, while providing access to specialist skills in areas that might otherwise be difficult to cover, helping companies win more business.

Investing in technology is another way to reduce labour-intensive tasks. AI algorithms can now analyse large volumes of images, videos and sensor data in minutes, a task that may take an ecologist weeks to complete. By speeding up fieldwork, automating analysis and providing data-driven insights, AI makes ecological work more efficient (and in some cases more reliable).

By combining these approaches, the ecology sector can protect its workforce, improve job satisfaction and retain the skilled professionals needed to deliver high-quality conservation outcomes.

Supporting ecologists’ well-being is not just good practice, it is critical for the sustainability of the sector.