Profile
Oli Burns
-
About Me:
I live in Hertfordshire with my partner and our daughter. I’m an environmentalist, occasional rugby player and movie nerd with a love of rock and indie music.
-
Read more
As a geomorphologist (a specialist in the way landscapes form and evolve) I love spending time outdoors enjoying the natural environment.
-
My pronouns are:
He / him
-
How I use Geography in my work:
Geography is at the heart of everything I do as a geomorphologist. Geomorphology is part of physical geography concerning the way landscapes change in response to erosion, transport and deposition of sediment by agents like water, ice or wind. I specialise in the way coasts, estuaries and rivers respond to floods and erosion. I use this knowledge to protect and enhance the natural environmental and keep people safe from hazards, including climate change.
To do this effectively, I also need to understand people, so my job involves elements of human geography as well.
-
My Work:
I work for the Environment Agency. We are responsible for managing flood risk and protecting the natural environment in England. I use my knowledge of geomorphology to advise on conservation and restoration of habitats, and how to manage hazard risk in areas threatened by pressures like flooding and coastal erosion.
-
Read more
As a regulator, the EA is responsible for ensuring a variety of activities are undertaken in ways that do not harm the environment or create risk to people. I’ve advised on some of the largest and most complicated infrastructure projects in the country, including a new nuclear power station at Sizewell on the Suffolk coast, where I was responsible for ensuring the coastal defence plans could withstand 100 years of sea level rise without damaging the natural environment in the area.
-
My Typical Day:
My work involves a mix of time working from home or in the office, and travelling to site to undertake fieldwork.
On a typical day I’ll walk my daughter to nursery then grab a coffee and breakfast before logging in for the day. I’ll attend meetings with colleagues around the country to discuss a range of issues, and often have to write or review technical reports.
-
Read more
When I’m doing fieldwork, I’ll start earlier to travel to whichever part of the country I’m required that day. I might do survey work, for instance gathering evidence of flood or erosion risk on a section of river of coast, or provide advice on management of a site. If I’ve travelled long distance, I might spend the night in a hotel to allow me to finish work the next day, before travelling home.
This is the part of the job I love the most. I’ve had the privilege of working in some of the most interesting and beautiful parts of the country, from the mountain streams of the Lake District to the coastal plains of Essex.
-
What I'd do with the prize money:
I would use the money to create materials to raise awareness of careers in geomorphology for secondary school age students. I’m a member of the British Society for Geomorphology’s Committee for Professional Geomorphology. We have an aspiration to improve awareness of geomorphology and the career opportunities it can provide amongst school and university students, and I would use the money to support this work, for instance funding creation of day in the life of a geomorphologist videos to host on YouTube, or supporting attendance at careers fairs etc.
-
Education:
I went to Richard Hale School in Hertford, before studying geography at the University of Portsmouth.
-
Qualifications:
12 GCSEs (A-C)
4 A Levels: Geography (C), English (A), History (C), General Studies (A)
BSc Geography (2:1) from the University of Portsmouth
MSc Coastal & Marine Resource Management from the University of Portsmouth
-
Work History:
2012 – 2016: Geomorphology Technical Officer – East Coast of England, Environment Agency
2016 – 2017: Senior Specialist – Coastal Geomorphology, Natural England
2017 – 2022: Geomorphology Advisor – Coasts & Estuaries, Environment Agency
2022 – present: Principal Geomorphologist, Environment Agency
-
Current Job:
Principal Geomorphologist in the Environment Agency
-
Employer:
Environment Agency
-
My Interview
-
What did you want to be after you left school?
A geographer, although I didn't at that point know that what I specifically meant was a geomorphologist!
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Yes from time to time, but never seriously! I was a bit lazy and got bored easily.
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I'd love to think I could have been a musician or a professional rugby player, but I was nowhere near good enough for either! My second choice was probably journalism.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Biffy Clyro
What's your favourite food?
I'll pretty much eat anything except parsnips, which are objectively awful.
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To play a test for the British & Irish Lions, headline Glastonbury and be the first geomorphologist to do fieldwork on another planet.
Tell us a joke.
Why can't you trust atoms? Because they make up everything.
-
Comments