Eloise Cunningham

Eloise studied BSc (Hons) Bioveterinary Science and now works for Natural England in the Biodiversity Net Gain Register Services Team.

“I came to an open day and the campus was beautiful, seeing the various facilities was really exciting, particularly the therapy centre - it felt like there were many opportunities. My course was great, it was challenging but there was a lot of support, although a little unusual with COVID. Hartpury prioritised our return to face-to-face teaching as soon as possible, this was not only good to encourage interaction and improve well-being but was particularly important for my course as we had a lot of practicals that we needed to attend, which was an integral part of our skill set. I was greatly inspired by my female lecturers who encouraged me to be bold and confident when working in a large company.

There was a lot of scope to go and do your own research; in my research module I looked at Canine Distemper Virus in Leopards. For my dissertation, I was supervised by Jim Swanson on my Hedgehog Endoparasite and Conservation paper, during which I volunteered at Secret World Wildlife Centre. I went to the wildlife centre to collect data and was able to obtain a placement through them.

During my time at Hartpury, I developed a passion for wildlife conservation and I wanted to pursue a career developing and improving the environment. I work with Natural England, the government’s adviser for England’s natural environment, in the Biodiversity Net Gain Register Services Team. We work with land owners and developers to assess any applications to make sure nature can thrive and wildlife can continue to live in harmony. It is great to work alongside like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a change for the environment.”

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