I assist in the managing of the charity’s nature reserves, including high value and ecologically sensitive sites, by carrying out practical habitat management and enhancement following site management plans and in accordance with the Trust’s aims. I undertake day-to-day physical maintenance on all sites. This involves the use of machinery such as brush cutters, Bank Commander BCS, petrol hedge trimmer and post driver etc. as well as a variety of hand tools. It is necessary for me to understand how to safely this kit (including what PPE to wear), and also to know how to maintain them to keep them in good, safe working order. Tasks include (but are not limited to):• Planting, aftercare and pruning of trees (including fruit trees)• Pollarding and coppicing trees• Installing, inspecting, and repairing site infrastructure such as tree guards, fences, gates and interpretation boards • Maintaining permissive routes and public Rights of Way• Working individually and alongside staff, volunteers, graziers, and contractors• Responding to emergency calls, such as for a wind damaged trees. Here it is necessary to ensure the safety of members of the public and/or livestock and to liaise with relevant landowners to ensure the problem is resolved safely and in a timely manner• Assisting in ecological surveying/monitoring on sites to record species presence and abundance to inform the Trust’s own records and contribute towards Local Biodiversity Action Plans• Topping orchards and grasslands using the Trust’s tractor• Site dependent scrub management to fit need e.g. to stop encroachment, or on a rotational basis to promote areas of scrubby habitat I do an element of office-based work, such as assisting in the preparation of documents for part of the Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier scheme. I have also contributed to the website content and have recently started running the Trust’s social media page https://www.facebook.com/valetrust.

My main responsibility is working with young people, typically between the ages of 6 and 25, to raise awareness and deeper understanding of wildlife and conservation issues as well as inspiring them to take action for nature through instilling a genuine appreciation of the outdoors. I am currently focusing on developing practical habitat management and training opportunities for university aged students in order to expand their CPD files and am also developing a work experience program for secondary school students. My other responsibilities include supporting wider engagement activities within the Trust, from helping with the successful set up and smooth running of celebration evenings, to family events, and public engagement displays at larger local shows. I constantly contribute to the success of these events through my ability to work with, engage and enthuse all ages, running exciting and lively activities and demonstrations. I was also responsible for organising and running the Trust's uniformed group engagement sessions, working with groups of all ages to create bespoke sessions that were suitable for badge attainment, receiving very positive feedback.

My role largely entailed designing and delivering a wide variety of informative outdoor engagement experiences with the aim of inspiring people of all ages about wildlife and conservation. My main responsibilities included: providing educational sessions for schools and nurseries, delivering birthday parties and family events, assisting with and managing various practical projects, communicating with members of the public, and organising volunteers. It was also often necessary for me to liaise with outside organisations, contractors, and schools, via email, phone, and face-to-face meetings, ensuring that the tone of any correspondence is appropriate, in addition to providing the pertinent information. I also assisted with the promoting of Trust events on our Facebook page, creation of learning resources, engaging with people and families at public events, assisting with recruitment of Trust members, assisting with guided walks, and assisting with the maintenance of the visitor centre gardens and play area.I worked as part of a small, close-knit team, where it was essential to maintain good working relationships. This type of work required me to be highly flexible with my time, and it was often necessary to work outside of my normal hours to ensure the success of projects. In addition to my duties as a People and Wildlife Officer, the traineeship included a Level 2 City and Guilds Qualification in Environmental Management. To complete this, I was required to put together a portfolio of evidence to prove my competency and knowledge in areas including Health and Safety, maintaining environmental good practice, and knowing how to establish safe and secure environments for children and young people. Further more, I had to manage a training budget which I used to gain additional qualifications and knowledge by attending relevant courses, such as bush craft competency and first aid, to increase the range and depth of my skill set.

My role entailed working alongside other LOSCs to install pipelines in places where machine could not be used (for example in hard to reach locations or environmentally sensitive areas). Tasks ranged from using hand tools to excavate trenches to lay the pipe for the scheme, to connecting sections of pipe using methods such as electrofusion. When problems were encounter, such as large boulders or unstable soils, they had to be overcome quickly and efficiently using appropriate methods and it was sometimes necessary to bring in specialist equipment such as disk cutters or winches.

I provide assistance with site visits, species surveys, monitoring work, the development and installation of mitigation plans and licenced work on protected species. My responsibilities included data compilation and analysis, assisting with report writing, including the creation of maps of animal activity to inform mitigation decisions.At all times I was expected to maintain a professional attitude, even when confronted with challenging situations. It was also necessary for me to liaise with appropriate persons on development sites to discuss how the impact of building work may affect the wildlife on site. Due to the nature of the job, it was important to be highly flexible with my time. I was required to undertake work/surveys at short notice, and to travel long distances, sometimes staying overnight. Working as part of a small team, it was vital to maintain good relationships with my colleagues. Species that I have worked with included: Bats; I conducted and assisted with survey (including dusk and dawn observation surveys) and monitoring work (including roost visits), and am capable of using a variety of detectors and call analysis software. Badgers; I assisted with survey work and sett monitoring and was responsible for sett exclusions, where I used a variety of hand tools to install one-way gates, and have overseen machinery during sett destructions. I have also undertaken surveys on other species such as herpetofauna and bird.

I worked on an a casual basis, largely during the bat season, to help with dusk and dawn bat surveys, as well as reptile surveys, as part of a team of specialist consultants. Our main objective was to assess the presence and behaviour of any wildlife species in order to provide data that formed the basis of ecological reports for development.

Whilst on my Go Wales placement, I worked along side the senior ecologist and his team in order to create and finalise specific site summaries by extracting relevant ecological, heritage and statistical data from existing management and legal files and meeting with members of the park’s staff. These summaries will be used in future to characterise site management needs and inform management priorities, which is a vital element of resource allocation.I also volunteered with thier Upland Pathway volunteer group to help maintain and repair the upland paths.