My love for the natural environment and wildlife has continued to grow with time and I couldn’t be more grateful for my new opportunity in a place which is close to my heart. My first week with Suffolk Wildlife Trust has been informative and has added to the excitement I already had for the next 6 months. I had the pleasure of meeting fellow interns across Suffolk as well as the Wild Learning Team, the Carlton team, volunteers and last year’s intern Vicky! All of which made me feel part of the team and enlightened me of the opportunities that are in store.
In my first session I assisted Katy at Lound Lakes – which I gave myself a pat on the back for finding first time! A school group were learning about plant and animal life cycles. I was thrilled to see the variety of activities organised for the children from life cycle role play to a game explaining bee pollination. The enthusiasm on the children’s faces and the multitude of questions asked re-enforced why I’d chosen to apply for this Internship. A personal highlight from this day was eating my lunch outside in the glorious sunshine (lucky me in March) and watching a fox run across the hill – you don’t get that joy in every profession. My first experience of Wild Tots soon followed but due to the weather we brought the outside, inside. This was my introduction to the Forest School ethos (mud, mud and more mud).
During my second week I became a dab hand at preparing equipment for school visits and events. This week I helped Jo alongside the wonderful volunteers with two school visits and participated in the volunteer training day at Carlton to familiarise myself with health and safety as well as activities such as dyke dipping and mini-beast related fun.
As a lover of learning, this internship excites me with the opportunities to assist the Trust in delivering their wonderful learning opportunities to all ages across Suffolk. I am thankful to have been given this opportunity which allows me to attend adult learning and accredited courses as well as expand my own knowledge of Suffolk and the wildlife it has to offer. In addition, on a personal level, to increase my confidence and delivery of sessions to help pursue my future career!
P.S. Come and see us at our Pop-up Café at the Carlton Marshes reserve, opening Saturday 6th April!