After a career change from Army Officer in the Logistics Corps, Fernanda has adapted her skillset to deliver landscape scope natural capital projects across Scotland. In less than two years, she has operationally led c.100ha of peatland restoration, as well as coordinated the intricacies of multi-aspect natural capital projects seeking private finance. Her background as a biology graduate, combined with on-the-ground heavy logistics experience, has helped Fern mobilise £1.3 million for environmental works restoring irreplaceable habitats, generating c.£250k carbon credits for rural landowners and helping local and national Government meet their environmental commitments.
Fern’s adaptability and drive has seen her take on a variety and depth of roles, from project managing excavators on top of a Munro restoring degraded peatlands to organising multi-million-pound private financing opportunities; she continues to provide a platform for local communities to be heard in the natural capital space. When not delivering direct environmental works, Fern has presented to rural communities from Caithness to Fort William, representing Bidwells to communicate a robust and research-led approach to habitat restoration at scale. Fern is a vocal critic of the natural capital assurance schemes, providing key technical feedback to help shape these maturing rural sectors. Her commentary has helped provide sensible amendments, especially to the Peatland Code, and avoid unnecessary red-tape and cost for rural landowners.
The c.£1.3 million projects that Fern has operationally managed have been across some of the most remote areas in rural Scotland. Not only do these projects provide local jobs, but they boost local economies, and provide environmental benefits, be that habitat restoration, biodiversity improvements, increased flood management etc. On a wider scale, Fern’s work impacts Scotland’s national and international environmental commitments, helping the country reach its climate change targets.
After a pivotal colleague moved on, on top of her high workload, Fern requested to pick up where they left off. She has since developed this role to spearhead a FIRNS project, driving for a structured approach to community engagement, enabling catchment scale private investment into many environmental projects. Fern has always been pivotal in a Riverwoods investment readiness pioneers project in the Upper Tay catchment, striving to deliver grant funded environmental works for local rural communities. Fern has driven headlong into responsibility and complex project management, and the outcomes of her work have been a testament to her work ethic, delivered for rural business and communities alike. Fern’s management of public and private funds in often remote rural areas and giving a platform for local community views have been key to her success within the rural sector.