Field-based ecologist - Research, University of York

Elaine: field-based ecologist

Elaine is a field-based ecologist whose work involves extensive travel and collaboration, as they study animal behaviour and social interactions in various locations around the world.

Elaine is a field-based ecologist who often spends extended periods away from the University of York, especially during the breeding season of the animals they study. During this time, they usually work at host institutions located around the world, depending on where the animals are. Elaine typically travels by plane to these locations and sometimes brings equipment with them. However, they can also conduct much of their work from their office in York, making frequent visits to the monitoring sites. Even local sites can be hard to reach by public transport, so they often drive for part of their journey.

Elaine's research focuses on observing animal behaviour and analysing their social interactions to understand the benefits they gain from these interactions. Their activities on-site may include monitoring bird nests, weighing eggs, and observing birds in the field to study their behaviours. Weather conditions can sometimes make data collection challenging.

In addition to fieldwork, Elaine spends considerable time on computer-based tasks. These include conducting literature reviews, reading academic articles, maintaining databases, using mathematical and statistical modelling tools, writing proposals and papers, and handling administrative duties.

Elaine uses various equipment for their work, including cameras, remote sensors, and a computer. Occasionally, they need to purchase new equipment for specific projects and follow the University’s standard procurement procedures for this.

Collaboration is a crucial part of Elaine's role. They communicate with researchers both at the University of York and externally. When they are at a host institution with colleagues working on the same project, they usually meet in person. When they are at the University, they attend meetings with project partners and internal meetings via video conferencing. Elaine also participates in workshops, travelling by train for UK events and by plane for those in Europe or beyond. When in-person attendance isn’t required, they can join via video conferencing.

Elaine’s environmental choices and impacts:

Energy use in workspaces

Regardless of where Elaine work's, the energy used for lighting, heating, and powering equipment contributes to the environmental footprint of their research. In shared spaces, whether at the University of York or a host institution, Elaine is responsible for a portion of the total energy consumed for these purposes.

Computer-based work

Some of Elaine’s computer-based tasks require more energy than standard computer work. For instance, when analysing migration patterns using statistical programmes, they rely on large datasets that demand significant storage and computing power.

Cloud computing energy use

Elaine uses cloud computing services like Google Drive for their work. Accessing these files consumes energy, which isn’t included in the energy use associated with their physical workspaces since it relies on remote servers.

Equipment purchases

When Elaine buys new equipment for specific projects, their choices impact the environmental footprint of their research. To understand this impact, considerations like the equipment's whole life cost, energy use, efficiency, and disposal methods must be evaluated.

Travel impacts

Elaine’s travel shapes their research’s environmental footprint. For primary data collection, using public transport instead of a car within the UK, or travelling by train instead of flying for farther locations, is less carbon intensive. However, some remote locations can be difficult to access, making these options unfeasible. The same considerations apply when travelling for conferences or meetings; they may also attend virtually using video conferencing when possible.