My connection with wildlife has grown from a nature-filled childhood. At age 6 or 7, I remember asking for a wildflower ID book for Christmas!
Fast forward a decade or two.
I studied Environmental Science at university, satisfying my life-long excitement for the sciences. Whilst studying, I fell back in love with wildlife, which had been a big part of my childhood, but that I’d grown apart from.
I have a big soft spot for marine wildlife of all shapes and sizes. After growing up far inland, the novelty of living by the coast and having salty waves on my doorstep will never go away. I can often be found with my head over a rockpool admiring crabs, rummaging through piles of seaweed on the hunt for bright orange periwinkles, or scanning the sea for a glimpse of a dolphin or porpoise.
The Trust has been a big part of my career so far. I first joined in 2022 as a Seasonal Volunteer at the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre. This led to an internship working on Stand For Nature Wales (S4NW). This was a Wales-wide youth engagement project empowering young people to act for nature in their local area. My time was split between marine mammal research and delivering educational outreach. Through the project, I found a passion for spreading the word about wildlife conservation. I enjoyed finding creative ways to engage people in action for nature, from events to social media content. After this contract, I joined the WTSWW Board of Trustees, staying closely involved with the charity through its governance.
With the learnings from my time at CBMWC, I committed to honing my science communication skills. Searching for my next adventure, I gravitated towards the planet's southern-most marine wildlife. I spent six months working in the Communications Team at the British Antarctic Survey, based in Cambridge. This involved a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on a documentary shoot in Antarctica. Wildlife galore!
After some freelance work in environmental communications and campaigns, I wanted to bring my focus back to local nature. Now, as Communications Officer, my role is to tell the stories of the charity’s critical work safeguarding nature. I will be creating content that educates our online communities about our work and inspires connection to local wildlife. I’ll also keep our members up to date through our e-news and support local and national campaigns, like 30 Days Wild.
Put simply, WTSWW is a team of relentlessly passionate nature-devotees, always happy to share their knowledge. It's this devotion that draws me back to the charity again and again. I’m happy to be back!
