~ About ~
Fay Brotherhood is a professional botanist, ecologist, artist and musician, originally from Leicestershire and now residing in Hertfordshire.
Fay is highly skilled across all her fields of interest, both academic and creative and is an enthusiastic and self directed learner, dedicated to the path of continual improvement, knowledge sharing and to providing high quality, robust work. Her innate creativity makes her an out of the box thinker and expert problem solver, capable of delivering innovative solutions and original ideas.
Fay Brotherhood BSc (Hons) MSc, FISC4
Education
2017-2019
MSc Environmental Mgt - Distinction
University of Hertfordshire.
Dissertation - Relationship between plant species distribution and historic land use in Welwyn Garden City.
2009-2012
BSc (Hons) Wildlife Conservatiion - 2:1
Nottingham Trent University.
2005-07
BTEC ND Countryside Mgt - Triple Distinction
Sparsholt College, Hampshire
Work History
2019 to present
-Senior Ecologist/Botanist
-Consultant Ecologist
-Lead Surveyor (freelance)
-Assistant Surveyor (freelance)
Arbtech Consulting Limited
Remote (Based in Hertfordshire & Leicestershire)
I became involved with Arbtech via their consultancy key skills course, following which I worked as a sub-contractor on bat emergence surveys (BERS) and Preliminary Roost Assessments. I was eventually entrusted with leading surveys, writing reports and managing my own surveys. Following employment, I gained capability in a wide range of tasks and skills, including Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) and Ecological Impact Assessment (EciA), Habitat Regulations Screening Assessment (HRA), Ecological , Construction and Habitat Management Plans, QGIS and Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment. (I have also tried my hand at some niche tasks such as invertebrate scoping surveys and mycological surveys.)
Over my four years as a consultant I developed my pre-existing special interests in botany and habitat dynamics. I became the first point of contact for botanical queries within the company and was until late 2024, the only person in the company capable of conducting specialist botanical assessments, such as NVC surveys. At the same time I also developed my side interests of mycology, lichenology and invertebrates and have conducted a couple of fungi and invertebrate scoping surveys.
With a goal of achieving FISC4, an intense 2 years of self directed study led to me achieving that goal on my first attempt in June 2024. Promotion to senior ecologist in October 2024 came with it the responsibility of passing on my experiences to coach the rest of the team through to FISC3 and 4 and improve the overall standards of botany within the company.
That is my current focus, alongside working towards my FISC5.
2011-2020
Portrait Artist
Domestic Housekeeper
Fay Brotherhood Fine Art & Music
Leicestershire & Hertfordshire
Creating commission based bespoke artworks for private clients. Gigging at folk, acoustic and pagan events and festivals both as a solo artist and in duos/bands. She supplemented her income as a freelance cleaner for private clients and schools. She folded in 2020 to focus on her employment with Arbtech and new role as lead singer with Spriggan Mist, but is working on the resurrection of her art and solo musical endeavours.
2009 - 2012
Assistant Ranger
Bradgate Park Trust
Newtown Linford, Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire
Assisting in the day to day running, site maintenance, habitat management, species monitoring and visitor experience tasks in a 1000 acre acid grassland/heathland medieval deer park and ancient woodland.
2005
Industrial Placement - Assistant Ecologist and Conservation Volunteer
Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust
Across Leics
A placement undertaken with supervision from Sparsholt College, during which I assisted in the survey of white clawed crayfish, water voles, bat box checks and shadowed their ecologist on botanical assessments of prospective County Wildlife Site’s. I helped manage groups of volunteers during conservation tasks, helped to run public events. I assisted with the writing of reports and interpretative writing and performed a range of administrative tasks.