Kevan Cook, from Natural England’s Marine Evidence and Advice Team, gives us a quick glimpse into the many and varied tasks that he takes on in a typical day.
Typical days are hard to describe as one day does tend to differ from the next, but they all have a fairly common start. Our cat usually wakes me up at about 4.30 demanding food, warmth, attention or any combination thereof. If I’m on call, which happens two weeks in eight, the first thing I do, after removing the cat from my face, is check my Blackberry. Hopefully there were no calls overnight that I’ve slept through, but it’s always reassuring to check.
If there is a call, then pretty much everything else stops and I have to deal with whatever the latest incident happens to be. So far I’ve provided advice - with input from others - on dogs in badger sets, a container ship ablaze in the Western Approaches, thousands of dead birds washing up along the south coast, sinking ships in Torbay and a chap in camouflage gear wandering around an National Nature Reserve with a shot gun to name but a few. Never a dull moment!
Variety is the spice of life
The day job is also a real smorgasbord. My official job title is Senior Specialist, Marine Operations. Together with my colleague Duncan Vaughan, this means we pretty much have catchall posts for all those bits of marine work that don’t have a home anywhere else.
For me, this includes being Natural England’s lead with the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) on the Oil and Gas industry. This involves a variety of casework, the most recent of which was coordinating our input to a Statutory Nature Conservation Body (SNCB) response for the 27th Round of UK Oil and Gas Exploration Licenses. As this sector is expanding to include the emerging technologies around fracking and carbon capture and storage, the consultations are becoming more varied.
I am also the marine function lead on our contingency planning and response to marine pollution incidents. This involves working with our partners to help prepare for responding to marine pollution incidents.
Combining business with pleasure
When I have time, my passion is seagrasses and I have spent quite a lot of time underwater studying and measuring them. These are a section 41 habitat and as such a Biodiversity 2020 priority. Fortunately, I am also able to combine my passion with my work as Natural England’s Seagrass Lead and Diving Officer. If that were not enough, I also provide specialist advice on the shipping industry, aspects of water quality and am part of the work underway to review our conservation advice.
As I said at the start, I don’t really know what my typical day is but I do know I look forward to going to work and facing the next very spicy challenge. On the downside though, following the template for my Personal Performance Agreement is a real nightmare!
