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My first month at RWT by Rhodri Blakeway

Rhodri Blakeway

I am writing this blog a month into my internship to give a summary so far: no two days have been the same working for Radorshire Wildlife Trust!
Rhodri

But first, a bit about myself. I was born and raised in Rhayader with my three brothers, and nature has been a part of my life from the beginning. Influenced by my father's own interest in wildlife, I have fond memories of birdwatching in the Elan Valley and Gilfach, while also rearing caterpillars into moths and butterflies. Somewhere along the way, I had my first experience of moth trapping, setting an interest in nocturnal Lepidoptera for life.

A broad fascination with the natural world has never left me. This heavily influenced my decision to study Zoology at the University of Exeter after completing my A-levels. I was in fact finishing my final year dissertation on passive acoustic monitoring of bird diversity when the role of intern was advertised. I made sure I found the time to write an application and feel incredibly glad I did so, based on my experiences of the last month.

My first week involved induction into the Trust, the highlight of which was attending my first Tuesday Volunteer Group session at Withybeds. The task at hand was clearing invasive Himalayan Balsam, which swamps riverbanks and contributes to erosion. I also attended the Thursday Volunteer Group and had my first experience of fitting a new gate at Gilfach.

gate

Since this first week, I have experienced a variety of practical tasks via the Tuesday and Thursday volunteer groups. These include bracken bashing and fitting a gate post at Gilfach, building a causeway at Abercamlo Bog, and enjoying working and learning with Tam (Reserves Officer) and a dedicated group of volunteers. Such tasks have been physically demanding, and I now think of them as the week's equivalent to the gym! Keeping with volunteers, I have been attending the Rangers group that surveys the site's species. So far, I have helped with butterfly and botany surveys and learning to recognise different species from the likes of botany expert Bronwen Jenkins.

Llanbister show

Helping at events has also been a feature of my first month. I enjoyed manning a stand at the Llanbister show, engaging with the public about the work of RWT. Another highlight has been the World Fish Migration Day event at Gilfach. For this, I was down on the Marteg riverside helping with a kick sampling demonstration to families, showcasing the invertebrate diversity of the river such as stonefly, mayfly and even a freshwater limpet! I have also shared my passion for moths with Gilfach visitors by setting a light trap at night and going through the contents the following morning. Moth trapping at Gilfach will hopefully be a regular over the summer, open to the public, so keep an eye out on the RWT website to sign up!

Moth trap

I have also been gaining valuable insights into the practical conservation of species in Radnorshire. A highlight so far has been setting camera traps at Gilfach with Rhys (Farm and Land Advisor), in the hopes of getting the first Pine Marten confirmation on the reserve following their reintroduction to Mid-Wales roughly 10 years ago. Shadowing project officers within the Trust has also been insightful; Dan (Wilder Lugg Project Officer) and Rivers Trainee Sue showed me restoration work on the Lugg River, such as pond creation and leaky dams as natural flood management. I have been tree surveying with Sarenta to monitor the survival of planted trees during the Wye Adapt to Climate Change Project, and visited the new Tan y Coed reserve with Tam and Silvia (Head of Conservation). Here, I hope to help make a management plan for the site and find out what species live there!

The week goes by super quickly working for RWT, and I get lost recalling everything I have done in the first month. I can, however, say that I have enjoyed it immensely and look forward to what the next 5 months have in store!

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