Countryside Development Officer
Paddy MacDonald is a Countryside Development Officer for East Ayrshire Leisure Trust. He is passionate about nature, especially birds of prey, and enjoys nothing more than sharing these passions with others.
Paddy took time away from his duties to tell us more about his enviable role.
How long have you been a Countryside Development Officer?
I have worked as a Seasonal Ranger then a Countryside Ranger and then onto managing the service as a Countryside Development Officer. For all of my 19-year service, I have been based at Dean Castle Country Park.
What training, if any, did you need to do?
I did my training firstly at Ayr College in Biochemical Science, and then in Countryside Management at the Scottish Agricultural College (now the SRUC). Outwith college I undertook multiple training courses in Bird and Mammal Identification, Visitor Management and volunteered with the RSPB working at the red kite feeding station in Dumfries and Galloway, and also at Clyde Muirshiel and Lochwinnoch.
What do you like best about your job?
My job is very diverse, and I have had the pleasure of working with teams across East Ayrshire Leisure Trust, sharing nature with young people and adults – sometimes their first interactions with nature. I organise a 40-mile Ultra Marathon on the River Ayr Way and a Hill Race on the Cairn Table each year, also helping to create new access routes like the new Fenwick to Loch Goin Covenanters Trail.
Do you dislike anything about your role?
Not really. Maybe the paperwork side of things, but I’m lucky to be based in Dean Castle Country Park and have an office in the castle itself.
What time does your working day usually start and finish?
I’m contracted from 9am to 5pm but most days I start a bit earlier which gives me time to enjoy the commute and walk into my office.
Can you briefly describe what a typical day involves?
It’s never boring and there is no typical day, but I check my countryside rota (aka ‘The Bible’), catch up with the Countryside Team on the daily challenges, and chat with the other Development Officers on what they are working on. No doubt I will have an access issue to look at and my email inbox is always full, so a big chunk of the day is spent in the office.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a Countryside Development Officer?
Not many people would aspire to be a CDO, but If you have even a slight interest in nature and the environment, working as a Countryside Ranger can be full of uplifting experiences. Working with diverse groups, education, events, heritage and nature will give the best base for any working life.
What would you be if you weren’t a Countryside Development Officer?
I’m not sure. I suppose a stick maker if I went full-time with my hobby, or an ACDC tribute singer!
Career highlight so far?
There have been a lot, but shaking hands with the King is up there. Also facilitating the 75th anniversary sculpture for the Knockshinnoch Disaster. I ran the Cairn Table race as a boy and carry the legacy of keeping the race going with more runners consistently every year. But birds of prey are my passion so ringing osprey chicks at Loch Doon and managing the project that streamed the nest, and hatching live last year was unforgettable.
If you had to sum up your job in one word, what would it be?
Stappit.
