Inside CIEEM’s Advisory Forum: Volunteer Reflections

In the ever increasingly busy modern world of work in 2025 where so many of us feel pulled in multiple directions daily, time is one of our most precious resources. In this blog I reflect on my experience of volunteering on the Advisory Forum of CIEEM for two terms, in the hope to enthuse the next cohort of members to stand for election this year and convince you that the rewards of being a CIEEM volunteer really do outweigh the small time commitment involved. Could this be you?

What is the Advisory Forum and how does it contribute to CIEEM as a whole?

The Advisory Forum is a consultative body which advises the Governing Board on the views of members on matters of strategic or operational effectiveness of CIEEM. These could range from contributing to the contents of CIEEM’s next Strategic Plan to providing feedback on numerous CIEEM projects and initiatives. Topics have included: forthcoming conference themes; revising the Competency Framework; suggestions for new awards and membership benefits; the future of In Practice; and how to implement change following CIEEM membership surveys. The forum acts as a ‘sounding board’ for the CIEEM Governing Board, without the responsibility and the decision-making role of Governing Board members.

One of the strengths of the Advisory Forum is that it welcomes applications for membership from anyone that is a qualifying member or above. So unlike the Fellows’ Forum that has a similar role, you don’t need to be a senior member of our profession to join, just a willingness to engage and contribute to relevant discussions. The broad range of the Advisory Forum’s membership contributes to the transparency of CIEEM’s governance whilst giving an opportunity for all but student members to influence the strategic direction of their professional institute. A helpful flowchart of how the Advisory Forum fits with CIEEM’s overall governance can be found here: https://cieem.net/about-cieem/governance/

What is involved in membership of the Advisory Forum?

The forum comprises up to nine ‘ordinary members’ that are elected at the AGM and should represent the breadth of the ecology profession. Others in attendance include: CIEEM’s president (the chair) and CEO; vice-presidents for England, Wales, Scotland and the Island of Ireland; chairs of standing committees; and one representative for each of CIEEM’s Geographic Section Committees. Other members of CIEEM’s secretariat and Governing Board may attend for relevant topics. Once elected, you are a member for a 3-year term and can serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms.

The forum meets on-line just twice a year for 2.5 hours each in the spring and autumn (normally outside the school holidays). A week before the meeting, agenda and papers are circulated, normally taking around an hour at most to review. There are opportunities for all members to raise issues of interest to CIEEM’s membership at all meetings.

What are the benefits of joining the Advisory Forum?

Having served on both the Professional Standards Committee and the Governing Board, I’ve always been impressed by how well organised, friendly and professional the CIEEM secretariat are to all those who volunteer. There is a volunteer handbook available and a dedicated staff member for support in your new role.

All contributions in meetings are welcomed, meticulously noted and considered. I’ve always felt heard in meetings and all viewpoints are acknowledged, appreciated and respected. Personally, I’ve found it a helpful way to keep abreast of our quickly changing profession, particularly the continuous evolution in government policy and ecological good practice (that directly helps my day job). I’ve also gained a greater understanding and appreciation of the current matters affecting all countries and all sectors in our industry and have a platform to raise and discuss issues relevant to the membership. I’ve particularly enjoyed contributing to discussions that are outside my day job, such as how can we engage more children and young people into our great profession. I remember a particularly memorable discussion on how we could influence the gaming industry to help with this: who knew that Minecraft actually have an ‘ecosystem world’ to enthuse and educate senior school students?

The forum enables all members to gain experience in advocacy, leadership and effective communication and provides the autonomy to suggest and contribute to projects that can impact the whole ecology profession. You will gain a fascinating insight into how your professional institute works and the breadth and depth of the work that CIEEM undertakes, all in a welcoming environment.

The forum also provides an excellent opportunity to network with a wide range of professionals across all our country and geographic sections, interact directly with the president and CEO of CIEEM and learn and hear the perspectives of those working in different sectors within our industry. In our current world of sometimes incessant social media noise which can so often be divisive, taking time to listen to those professionals outside your own workplace or sector directly is invaluable.

Are you ready to stand during this Elections season?

So, have I convinced you to consider standing for election this year for the Advisory Forum or another volunteer role? Have you ever wanted to directly feedback, influence and advise on the work of CIEEM and put forward suggestions for change? How many meetings will you attend in the next calendar year that will be genuinely rewarding, enjoyable and have a direct impact on our profession that you can also add to your CV? All for less than the total of a single working day a year? Give it a go, you don’t have anything to lose and a lot to gain!

To put yourself forward, you just need to provide a 500 word statement on your suitability and what you would bring to the role, and outline three key outcomes you would like to help CIEEM achieve during your time on the forum. This needs to be proposed and seconded by two existing CIEEM members. This year there is currently one place available on the Advisory Forum and the details for applications can be found here. The deadline for applications is Friday 17th October.

About the author

Louise Mapstone has been a member of CIEEM for 23 years and has previously served two terms on both the Professional Affairs Committee and Advisory Forum at CIEEM. She is a CIEEM mentor and has been an ordinary member of the Governing Board since November 2024. Throughout her career as an ecologist, Louise has worked in the private, public and voluntary environmental sectors as well as spending five years as a freelancer. Louise currently works at Buckinghamshire Council as a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Officer where she has spent nearly four years leading on integrating BNG into the daily workings of the Local Planning Authority including training planners, ecologists and councillors. She has developed and facilitated the creation of an increasing number of habitat banks in her county, including some of the first to appear on the national register when it was launched last year.