I’m Dela Collins, Geckoella’s ecologist. I joined Geckoella in 2021 after previously working for several years in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. Prior to this I completed an MSc in wildlife health and conservation at Bristol University.
I have a broad range of interests including human-wildlife conflict, mitigation and enhancements. I joined Geckoella as a seasonal radio-tracking assistant and progressed as a full-time ecological clerk of work focusing on the Hinkley Point C Connection Project.
A typical day could involve a range of activities, from planning application review and consultations for a local county council to leading kayak surveys for water vole and otter. Through the active season, I lead and assist on a range of protected species surveys including badgers, dormice, Great Crested Newt and bat activity and emergence surveys for small homeowner sites to large infrastructure projects. I am also working towards a Level 1 Survey Class Licence for Hazel Dormouse.
During the winter season, you can find me working across a range of surveys including wintering bird surveys, acoustic analysis and assisting with drone surveys across protected ecological and geological sites from the South Coast to the Yorkshire Dales.
Dormouse nest box survey
Great Crested Newt eDNA survey
Kayak survey for water voles and otters on the Somerset Levels
Two dormice (male and a female) found during a nest box monitoring survey
