Hydro-ecology - how the market has grown.......
Many years ago, we decided we needed a simpler title for some of our specialist work. Our reports were delighfully titled "Geology, soils, hydrology and the edaphic relations of wildlife habitats", a bit of a mouthful.
After much thought and deliberation we hit on the phrase 'hydro-ecology' which no-one was using at the time, certainly not as a description of the type of work we were doing. We were breaking new ground (no pun intended). It was a new phrase that described the very specialist type of work we were doing and created much interest.
However, much to our delight and as the result of our training courses and the huge range of reports we have produced under the term 'hydro-ecology', the phrase is becoming commonplace.
English Nature is currently advertising for a 'hydro-ecologist', a number of universities are running courses on 'hydro-ecology' and the Environment Agency has taken the term on board. Now, amongst the presentations at CIWEM's latest conference Wetlands and the Community (31.1.02), there is one called 'The Importance of Understanding Hydroecology in Wetland Management'.
So, when you next hear the phrase 'hydro-ecology', please remember who thought of it first and started the ball rolling!
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