This International Women's Day we are shining a spotlight on the charity’s “Wild Women” each fulfilling an important role in the Trust’s day-to-day operations and helping to create a county that is rich in wildlife whilst inspiring those around them to take positive action for nature. 

The leader

Introducing Director of Development Sarah Brownlie, a driving force behind the work of the Trust and Project Manager at Wilder Carbon. Sarah is passionate about enabling everyone at Kent Wildlife Trust achieve their goals and encourages people not to seek perfection, but to embrace their strengths and learn from failures to become more resilient. She says:

“I've always been so intrigued by evidence[1] that showed a high percentage of men would apply for a job, even if they didn't meet all the requirements of the role, whereas women would likely only apply if they met all the criteria.

“I constantly see female colleagues strive for perfection and it was a standard I set myself early in my career. I very much assumed the position of needing to set out to prove myself by having all the answers and meeting all the requirements, in short - getting it right every time. This was exhausting, limiting and unnecessary. A standard that was impossible to achieve.

“I only really started to grow in my career when I started to 'fail' at being perfect, getting things 'wrong' or having to ask for help. It was a hard lesson, but as Jillian Michaels says, ‘A bad day for your ego is a great day for your soul.’

“What I perceived as failures were, of course, not the end of it and it was in those moments that I understood the power of perseverance and that by learning how to cope with adversity and bounce back from failure, I became more resilient overall.

"The poet and memoirist, Maya Angelou, sums this up beautifully when she writes “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

"So, my advice to anyone reading this, male or female, who is contemplating taking the next step up the career ladder would be that it is better to get on and give it a go, even if you don't yet have all the answers. They should not be afraid to ask silly questions or for help and let's face it, more often than not, people are wondering the same thing!

"Don't set yourself up to fail by setting yourself unrealistic standards. Have courage in your vulnerability to authentically grow. Face your failures head-on and take responsibility for your actions. True leadership is showing how to handle the rough and the smooth.

And as an inspiring male leader I know always says: "Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good" an aphorism which means insistence on perfection often prevents the implementation of good improvements.

"And finally - allow yourself to be just good enough because you are!"

[1] Hewlett Packard internal report

The inspiration 

Nina Jones is the Projected Area Warden for Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve. She is a passionate conservationist, keen to share her love of nature with those visiting the site. Nina will often work extra days at other sites, teaching children about the marine wildlife at rockpooling events, leading a wilder Kent safari or running a beach clean.  

Anyone who spends time with Nina will be enthused by her passion for wildlife. She has undoubtedly sparked a love of wildlife with many of the people who have attended her events. Nina is also an advocate for wellness and mindfulness, making the connection between the natural world and the benefits to our mental health. 

Nina says: “It's my job to engage with the local community, landowners and stakeholders, to try and develop an understanding in them as to why it's so important to protect wildlife and habitats. 

“Here at Kent's largest coastal wetland site, we have thousands of visitors every year, and if they don't have that understanding as to how vulnerable our wildlife is, how much space some of our migratory birds and seals need and how threatened some of our habitats are, like the saltmarsh and the sand dunes, then we won't find that balance between people and wildlife both benefiting from this site. 

“I've worked with the Kent Wildlife Trust since 2015 doing some very different roles, including Forest School, helping to manage the Down to Earth project, which was about getting women outside and active and engaged in nature and also leading Wilder Kent Safaris. 

“My passion is about getting people outside, developing a deeper connection with nature and building that understanding as to just how beneficial time in nature is to our mental health and our physical health. I hope that in doing so people can then help to safeguard these green spaces and have as much enthusiasm for wildlife as we do. 

“I'm particularly passionate about working with younger generations because they are the future, and we need to pass the baton of responsibility onto them and help them protect and improve our green spaces in and around Kent. 

“I'm really proud to work for Kent Wildlife Trust. I'm surrounded by female colleagues in many different roles across many different departments but there's one thing we all have in common, which is our enthusiasm to protect wildlife across Kent.” 

The pioneer 

Heidi Aguirregoicoa broke new ground when she, along with her colleague Hannah Mackins, was appointed as the UK’s first-ever female Bison Rangers, joining Eddie Murray to make up a team of three who keep a watchful eye over the Wilder Blean Project bison, Exmoor ponies, longhorn cattle and iron age pigs. 

These Bison and Conservation Grazing Rangers are an inspiring team, who each bring unique qualities to this trailblazing project, which uses Nature-based Solutions as way to manage woodlands in a more holistic way than management by humans. The natural behaviours of the bison, ponies, pigs and cattle help to restore the woodland, bring light to the forest floor and encourage new wildlife to thrive. 

The rangers are a crucial part of the project, with numerous responsibilities and performing important tasks, including fence checks to keep the animals safe, condition scoring the herd, and ensuring their welfare needs are met. They also teach others about the project, carrying tours on the site where they act as ambassadors for the project. 

Heidi says: “My team is super diverse. We've all come from very different backgrounds and I'm really inspired by them. I'm so happy to be working with them because every day we're all teaching each other different things and different skills. It's an honour to be with people just as passionate about wildlife as me.  

“I think that there's been a huge growth in women in conservation in recent years, which is amazing to see. I'm really happy to be in a team with my other colleague, Bison Ranger Hannah Mackins, and Jess Allam, who is our Livestock Grazing Officer.  

“It's great working alongside these women and I hope that we can help pave the way for more women in this whole project. I hope that any young women or girls who learn about this project and see us here working are inspired to get involved with conservation and pursue any dreams that they have to help with environmentalism.” 

Feeling inspired?

Why not join the team? We are currently recruiting, click here for more.