After graduating in July 2024, I began my search for an entry-level opportunity into the conservation industry. Initially I wasn’t sure what that would look like. Being interested in lots of different aspects of ecology and conservation, I found it hard to pin exactly where I wanted to start. One thing I knew I was especially passionate about was my local River, the Wye. Having grown up on the river with it being very near my family home and seeing the state in how its change over the past two decades, I was determined to make a difference to this beautiful habitat which desperately need conservation and protection. So when I saw the opportunity to be a River Restoration trainee at Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, I jumped at the opportunity and was fortunate enough to get it. Attending Aberystwyth university gave me a huge love for Wales and its nature, so I was very excited to return to the other side of the border and implement some of what I had learnt academically, as well as learn new things. As Herefordian growing up on the Wye, it felt like a ‘full circle’ moment to get the opportunity to work with a charity towards the river’s conservation. 

The first few weeks I was given a tour of the various reserves and sites RWT are currently working on, including Pentwyn. I was shown what work had been done on the sites, and on some days we set out to evaluate the progress of the previous conservation work done to see if the site was improving ecologically. I was also shown methods of natural flood management on these sites, such as the leaky dams. This was a new concept to me, but it was fascinating to see how we can use nature to improve habitats whilst it can also help us manage flooding. I received a full tour of the office and met all the lovely staff, and was informed the role each person plays, as well as the projects they are working on. This included Dan’s Wilder Lugg project and Sarenta’s Wye adapt to climate change? project. I was shown what a day-to-day job as a project ecologist looks like, and the science behind their chosen conservation method was explained to me, which was insightful. I was also shown the GIS software they use on the job, which was helpful as someone wanting a career in ecology and science communication. Talks with Dan and Sarenta about conservation approaches was really interesting. We discussed how science of conservation evolves, and what new methods are used today compared to previous years and even decades. For example, I was shown through both of Dan and Sarenta’s projects how conservation plans from a whole habitat level is being implemented, compared to just a single species level. With my academic experience we often only focused on species level, so this was a unique opportunity to learn about this different perspective and technique, and see how it is being implemented in real life. Through this traineeship I also received the opportunity to get my Health and Safety Outdoors certificate, which has proven to be a valuable skill I can put on my CV.

After Christmas, my time was dominated by practical conservation work, something I was excited to get back into as I hadn’t been able to do anything similar since my dissertation research. We had the job to plant around 10,000 trees in the Wye and Lugg catchment for the Wye Adapt to Climate Change? project. Every week we would plant trees along the river to improve the stability and structure of riparian areas, as well as in upland areas to reduce run-off and flooding .It felt so rewarding to do tangible, measurable action which will directly help my local river and its tributaries. Tree planting and taking part in a bio blitz really helped improve my plant ID skills, which, as explained by Sarenta and Dan, is a growing desirable skill, so as a botany novice I felt really fortunate to enhance this skill whilst also carrying out conservation work. We carried out different types of tree planting, including with guards and without, as well as with cactus guards, all which were new and rewarding experiences for me. 

I never knew there were so many different methods to tree planting, as well as the science behind it, so I felt lucky to have learnt so much on the job. The majority of the planting I partook in happened on farms. Meeting some landowners, farmers, as well as learning about the farm consultancy RWT offers was, to me, invaluable, as I had never had a previous opportunity to do so. With over 90% of Wales land dedicated to farming, RWT showed me the importance of building relationships with people from this community, as unification is so necessary to benefiting nature and farming.

A more unconventional skill I have gained is a vast increase in my driving confidence. When I first started the traineeship, I had never driven alone in my car, let alone driven that far before. I think people often forget that to work outdoors in nature, particularly in Wales, you require a driving license to get to more rural sites to carry out conservation work. As teaching students practical and academic skills were emphasised when I was in university, talking about the importance of this skill was often neglected. Young people entering the nature and conservation workforce may be blindsided when applying for roles where a driving license is a necessity, and I was definitely one of those people, so this traineeship gave me the perfect opportunity to build my confidence in this necessary skill. By the end, I could fearlessly drive to some of the reserves and not fear getting lost even if I was by myself.

I am grateful to Sarenta, Dan, Catrin and everyone at Radnorshire Wildlife Trust for helping me take this first step into a career working in nature, and I’m so fortunate this was in the beautiful Welsh countryside setting. I am so happy I have had the opportunity to apply some of what I learnt at university, as well as learn new skills and build on my knowledge and confidence. I am looking forward to returning to volunteer over the summer and I wish the team the best of luck with their projects and personal on-going endeavourers!