Daniel Leigh

Background

About Daniel Leigh

I have always had a deep love for the outdoors and the natural world. Growing up in a rural town in southern Scotland I spent my time exploring the hills and forests, which developed my fascination with the environment and how humans interact with the landscape. It was this that lead me to study Environmental Geoscience at university and continues to drive my professional journey. Through my studies I gained great insight into how the natural world operates, from the atmosphere, to oceans, the soils and rock beneath our feet, the myriad of lifeforms that share it and how all these systems interact and influence each other. I also learned practical techniques of how to measure and study these processes, from sampling and surveying to lab analysis and data processing. My learning wasn't confined to university. In working as a production intern for the Environmental Art Festival Scotland I found a love and talent for project management and team leadership. Working collaboratively with others on a large scale project, planning, solving problems and delivering excellence was inspiring and continues to motivate me. I further developed my leadership and team management skills as a trainee expedition leader with Gapforce, building on my skills in a gruelling training course in the Costa Rican jungle. Here I learned how to manage a team in challenging conditions and crises, plan and manage expeditions and teach and inspire others. It tested my endurance, abilities, mental fortitude and reignited that love for the natural world as I was immersed in one of the most diverse and challenging environments on the planet. In my time working as a forester I gained valuable experience in how new woodland creations and commercial plantations are planted and maintained, and how this work is carried out on the ground. Working as a tree surgeon furthered my experience with working with trees and how to do so safely, as well as how to operate various machinery and equipment. Both of these roles allowed me to bridge a gap between my knowledge of the environment and working in forestry and rural industry. I aim to combine my love for the environment with the skills I have developed over the years, working with the landscape to promote sustainable practices and protect our natural world. Sustainable land use and conservation is becoming ever more crucial as governments and the public push for a more environmentally minded society. I want to be there to help realise that dream of a sustainable and environmentally conscious world.