From little acorns - founder of Devon ecology business marks 15 years at the helm

The MD of an Exeter based business is celebrating a milestone in her career as an ecologist.

Sue Searle set up Acorn Ecology in Exeter in 2003 to provide ecological services to home owners, architects, developers and local authorities that include surveys of protected species.

She retrained to work in ecology at the age of 39 after a career in midwifery and nursing, first obtaining a degree in Biological Sciences at University of Exeter then a post-graduate diploma in Ecology and Conservation at the University of Bristol.

Explaining why she moved into this specialist field, Sue said: “From an early age I was obsessed with wildlife; I lived in Africa until the age of eight and local people would bring me insects and other interesting creatures to study.

“I later volunteered with Devon Wildlife Trust for many years, getting involved in Wild Nights Out and setting up its Devon Watch Group in Exeter. This led me to see how I might pursue a profession in the sector.”

At first, Sue ran the company on her own, building up a client base and getting the word out about Acorn Ecology’s specialisms. The business became a success and in 2007 Sue took on her first permanent member of staff, Sarah Candlin, now Principal Ecologist and the Exeter branch manager.

Today there are five employees at the Westpoint location and two branches in Guildford and Bristol, opened in 2014 to expand the geographical scope of the work of the company and bring new expertise to the team.

Acorn Ecology provides expert wildlife information for protected species such as bats, badgers and dormice to clients, primarily for planning applications. The company also offers an array of other specialist ecological services such as management plans and European Protected Species licences. It is one of the top training centres in the UK for ecology courses and every year has an intake of 30 students for its Certificate in Ecological Consultancy.

Sue explained: “I am particularly proud of our training courses; it is so rewarding to be able to train people for employment in ecological consultancy and help them progress in their careers. Training is something I am very passionate about as it is not easy to get the right skills and knowledge for this career.” She won a National Training Award in 2009 for her achievements and in 2011 her book How to Become an Ecological Consultant was published, with a second edition due out later this year.

Her plans for the company are to continue to provide a top-quality service to clients and expand the geographical range of the company through the two satellite branches. “I feel it is quite an achievement to not just establish and keep a niche business like ours going for 15 years but to grow it too.” 

The anniversary was marked by a celebration at the company’s head office at Westpoint in Clyst St Mary, with staff and guests joining Sue for refreshments and to pose questions during an enlightening interview facilitated by Cathy Towers. During the interview, Sue revealed that her favourite projects included conducting bat surveys at Winchester Cathedral and, closer to home, Saltram House near Plymouth. She said she also enjoyed surveying the Jacobean home of clothes designer Jasper Conran.

“I am looking forward to forging ahead with Acorn Ecology for many years to come and continuing to provide an exemplary service. We have some exciting plans for expanding our training courses and our new branches.”

For more information visit www.acornecology.co.uk.