Hello, I’m D’yani, Radnorshire Wildlife Trust’s Habitat management trainee 2024-2025. It's nice to meet you! As I'm coming to the end of my traineeship, I want to recap my experience to inspire someone else to take up the position. 

To start with, what interested me in taking on this adventure. I guess I have always had a connection with nature and outdoors, as many of us have had, living in the Welsh or any countryside. Growing up I was entrenched in nature, making mud cakes, climbing trees and walking around in the rivers. As I matured, I started looking closer, photographing lichens, skylines from trees and butterflies. By the time I was in university, and I delved into my studies, I participated in the botanical society, which engaged in monthly walks to identify the seasonal plants in our local park. At the end of my first year, I was lucky to shadow a conservationist. This exposed me to the possibility of working within conservation and a way to gain practical experience. The job entailed tree maintenance, identification and wonderful sunlight. 

So, when I finished my geography degree and moved back home, I knew that maintaining this knowledge and developing it deeper was my goal. This traineeship was exactly that and more! Despite my foundation, I do believe this position or anything similar within the trust is always a brilliant springboard for those looking to work outdoors in nature and conservation. 

One of the mesmerising aspects of this volunteering is watching the seasons come and go. The movement, to the flourishing of the plants and the bird songs from a quiet, and in my case snowy, winter to the erupting, vibrant and vivid summer was astonishing to witness. With seasonal weather comes seasonal jobs. The winter months were filled with gorse and tree clearing, allowing for, in the coming months, more light to filter in encouraging the wildflowers to grow while aiding others to thrive. This was carried out in one of our oldest sites, Gilfach. 

Gilfach is a beautiful site, and one I visit outside of volunteering. The abundance of plant varieties aids in the magnificent vibe of the site. During the winter, we were frequented by heavy storms which damaged numerous trees, leading to multiple fence repairs and tree removal. Many of our sites have cattle so repairs became vital. Side note, the Belted Galloways that occupy Cors Burfa (Burfa Bog) are so cute to watch! More than once, they would come and watch me and the other Volunteers work from a distance. 

As spring sprang, we shifted to invasive plant removal, focusing on Creeping Thistle and Himalayan Balsam on the river sites. Removing Himalayan Balsam was not my favourite job, as the pungent smell was overwhelming, but I recognise the importance of every job in the maintenance of the reserves. Neglecting to do something you dislike or find difficult often increases the problem. Due to the abundance of the Himalayan Balsam, on both sides of the river, missing a year would escalate the amount to remove when returning. Throughout the traineeship important lessons like this one were often learnt in conjunction with conservation tasks. Being patient and comfortable with delayed gratification is at the forefront of the work completed, as the results of your work won't be seen until 3 months later or more. But it's always rewarding when they do show.

Now we're moving into summer, there's a focus on bracken bashing. However, I’ve been taking this time to improve my plant knowledge with a sprinkle of bugs and birds. I have a foundational knowledge of plants, nonetheless, with the Tuesday Volunteers’ understanding of the environment, my identification skills have increased. 

It is also important to mention the wonderful and kind people who I work alongside. Tam (Assistant Reserves Officer) and all the Tuesday Volunteers are patient and considerate people, who’s enthusiasm and commitment employs me to work harder. The range of specialisations that the group encompasses practically covers every topic! Moths, fungi, botany, tools, local Welsh names and fence maintenance are among the small collection of information they offer. Talking with them you are never starved of knowledge! Each one has a passion for Radnorshire and the reserves which are displayed within each conversation. Just recently I have been identifying: the June Bugs, who love the Bracken, the difference between the Ringlet butterflies and Meadow Brown butterflies (who are recorded by the Gilfach Rangers), the female Golden-Ringed Dragonfly, the largest dragonfly in the UK and noticing the nuances between the Cats-ear and Mouse-ear Hawkweed. The problem now is trying to remember everything!! 

The months I’ve been a part of this traineeship have been so rewarding, the knowledge and experience I have gained due to the variety of work and expertise of the people I have been surrounded by, makes it hard to move forward into my next adventure. However, the skills and information gathered have prepared me for this move. So, if you have the opportunity to take part in anything similar, jump headfirst into it.

Good Luck!

D'yani Hinds-Williams