Hometree charity is a landscape restoration charity with a national scope. Our work is to establish and conserve permanent native woodland, encouraging land regeneration and biodiversity through afforestation, restoration and education.
We're a small but rapidly growing charity, at an exciting stage of its development. We have a committed team, and an experienced group of eight board members. Hometree owns sites across the country and delivers workshops, and environmental services throughout Ireland.
What began as a tree-planting charity is growing into a project which endeavours to deeply connect people with nature, and facilitates a wide variety of projects that are fundamental to addressing both Ireland’s declining biodiversity and the unfolding climate challenge.
Our current fundraising comes from partnerships, people and businesses who share and wish to support Hometree’s goals and those who are curious to educate themselves and connect to their sense of stewardship for the natural world. We’ve worked with over 50 businesses, from small startups to multinational organisations like Medtronic, the global leader in medical technology.
Seasonal Field Ecologist
Hometree CLG is an environmental charity working to restore and protect native habitats across the west of Ireland, with a particular focus on temperate oceanic woodlands. We own and manage a growing number of sites and partner with farmers, communities, and organisations to deliver meaningful biodiversity outcomes on the ground.
As our restoration programme expands, we are seeking a Seasonal Field Ecologist to support the delivery of habitat restoration and conservation work across our sites. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with field experience to be involved in impactful restoration efforts. This is currently an opportunity for a fixed-term contract but there is potential for this to evolve into a longer term position.
Role Overview:
The Seasonal Field Ecologist will support Hometree’s restoration projects through on-the-ground ecological surveys, monitoring, and reporting. Working within the ecology team, they will play a key role in establishing ecological baselines, collecting field data, and supporting the day-to-day delivery of our projects.
This is a field-based role requiring strong ecological survey skills, the ability to work independently in outdoor environments, and a collaborative approach to working within a small and committed team.
Key Responsibilities:
Conduct habitat and species surveys across Hometree’s project sites, including woodland, riparian, and peatland habitats.
Collect, manage, and organise ecological monitoring data in line with Hometree’s protocols.
Support the implementation of restoration actions, such as vegetation clearance, invasive species control, and planting.
Prepare clear and concise field reports and contribute to project documentation.
Assist with ecological assessments and restoration planning under the supervision of the ecology lead.
Liaise with landowners, contractors, and local community members during fieldwork.
Support broader conservation and biodiversity initiatives led by the Hometree team.
Essential Requirements:
Degree in ecology, environmental science, or a related field.
Minimum of 2 years’ experience in field-based ecology
Proficiency in ecological survey methods, with good plant ID skills and habitat classification knowledge (e.g., Fossitt or EU Habitats).
Strong organisational and reporting skills.
Use of GIS for mapping field work and making figures.
Self-motivated, with the ability to work independently in a variety of outdoor settings.
Willingness to travel regularly and work in remote or physically challenging environments.
Full clean driver’s licence.
Desirable Skills:
Familiarity with GIS or ecological mapping tools.
Experience in practical conservation tasks (e.g., tree planting, invasive species management).
Working Knowledge of the Irish Vegetation Classification
Understanding of Irish biodiversity legislation and conservation policy.
Interest in working for an environmental charity and supporting community-based restoration.
Location and Working Arrangements:
Flexible working arrangements will be considered for those based in other western counties close to our project areas.
Salary: €35,000 for 4 day working week
Initial contract duration: 6 months
Core work Hours: 9am - 5:30pm Monday - Thursday (flexible working may be required)
Location: West of Ireland (Sligo, Galway, Clare, Kerry)
To apply, please fill in the application form by 27th April 2025.
Hometree Internships - Ecology and Fieldwork - CLOSED
Hometree is a nature restoration charity, based in the west of Ireland. We work to establish and restore resilient habitats, focusing on native temperate rainforests. Our approach integrates community, culture, science and natural systems. Through afforestation, conservation, restoration and education we hope to nourish the landscape and create new ways for communities to relate to nature.
We are currently offering an Ecology and Fieldwork Internship. It will be a six-week internship running from the 12th of May until the 26th of June 2025, based at Hometree's HQ in Ennistymon, Co. Clare. We offer a weekly stipend of €150 to help cover some of your costs. Please note that accommodation and travel will need to be self-arranged.
This internship is open to students of ecology, recent graduates, or individuals with an interest in conservation who have some prior fieldwork experience. The work will be primarily terrestrial fieldwork, with a focus on habitat and botanical surveys as well as condition assessments. There may also be opportunities to support mapping work using QGIS, depending on the candidate’s experience, and to assist with desk-based studies.
The weekly schedule will run from Monday to Thursday, with core hours from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. However, due to the nature of fieldwork, some days may start earlier and run longer (e.g., 7:00am to 6:00pm); any additional hours will be returned as time in lieu. Jessica Beresford will manage the internship, and most of the work will take place alongside her.