Meet the staff: Ryan Allison

By Emma Chaplin

Communications Officer

Ryan Allison is in the Nature Reserves team, and his job title is Site Manager - West, which means he has responsibility for the management all of our western reserves: Amberley Wildbrooks, Burton Mill Pond, Cooksbridge Meadow, Ebernoe Common & Butcherlands, Ferry Field, Graffham Common, Iping & Stedham Common, Levin Down, Leythorne Meadow, Marehill Quarry, The Mens, Mill Pond Marsh, Waltham Brooks, West Dean Woods and Woods Mill. Also Ferry Field, and Mill Pond Marsh, both part of Pagham Harbour. These last two and Amberley Wildbrooks are managed day-to-day by RSPB on our behalf.

I caught up with Ryan to find out a bit more about him.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born in Shoreham and have always lived within twenty miles of there. I have a partner and three children. Before working for Sussex Wildlife Trust, I was Countryside Warden for Horsham District Council for 13 years.

Tell us about your work for the Trust.

I work most closely with Rangers Sarah Quantrill, Dav Bridger and Clive Lunny, as well as other members of the Nature Reserves team, such as Senior Ecologist, Alex Worsley. I'm slowly getting to know all the people connected to the reserves, such as the local parish groups, Volunteer Reserve Managers and all the volunteers of course.

A lot of the big practical work on the reserves is done in winter when everything is wet and many species are dormant. The opposite of what you might expect. But that's because we need to avoid the nesting season etc. It's been so wet in September and October, some work will have to be put off until next year.

What do you most enjoy?

It feels great to be working for an organisation that’s primary focus is nature recovery – everything points to that. Nature's recovery is everyone's goal. I feel lucky to be one of the people who is able to physically deliver that. I particularly like working with large herbivores – seeing cattle, ponies, and deer interacting within the ecosystem is a passion of mine. It is very rewarding to see a habitat supporting a higher diversity and abundance of species, due to prior works or actions you have taken.

What can be most challenging?

I'm covering a wide geographical area and some fairly large tracts of land (just under 800 hectares/1,900 acres in total). It’s tight to get round all 15 reserves in a fortnight, although I'm trying to get to know them all.

The weather can be tricky, and there is a huge amount to do at the same time. But on the plus side, we have so many different habitats, my work is really interesting.

What skills do you need to do your job?

Patience. You can't do everything in one season. You have to be able to both take the long view - zoom out a bit and look at the regional landscape - as well as being aware of what's close-up. However, you mustn’t be slow in your actions, we are in a biodiversity and climate crisis. Thoughtful actions can make important gains.

Where are your favourite places?

There is something evocative about heathlands. Graffham Common, Gallows Hill. You get a lovely view. I've been looking for Adders there recently with no luck. Also, Iping and Stedham Commons. Both reserves being part of the 64 mile long Serpent Trail makes me feel genuinely connected. I have been talking with the SDNP Rangers about some exciting connectivity projects we can be part of.

Late spring and summer time are my favourite times of year. When you've worked hard over winter, you start to see the results. It's such a relief. Sometimes the work we do looks so dramatic, you fear it will never recover. But it does.

How do you relax?

Being outside. Reminding myself to sit down and enjoy what's around me.

What would be a perfect Sunday?

Family time. We recently went up to the Natural History Museum, and last weekend we joined the March for Clean Water. We typically avoid cities as the number of people can be a bit overwhelming, that’s probably us done now for the year. More our style is a hike and a pub lunch. We like to be active and immersed in nature, so there's not always much difference between the week and weekend.

What might people not know about you?

We've got four horses. They provide conservation grazing on an area close to where we live and my partner Rina rides three of them. The kids and I sometimes lead them on foot or follow behind on bikes. Last year we also had two Exmoor ponies, these were surplus to the breeding herd on the Knepp Rewilding Project. They were pretty flighty when they came to us but with a lot of time and patience, we were able to halter train them and get them happy loading in a horsebox. This meant they could be safely used for conservation grazing on areas that are a bit smaller than Knepp. They have now joined the herd on the Isle of Wight for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. We haven’t been over to visit them yet but hope to soon.