From finance to fencing! 

After taking early retirement in March 2016, I joined as a volunteer with the Learning Team at Lackford Lakes, initially helping with school visits. I enjoyed meeting the children and the other volunteers, many of whom were retired teachers. With help from the team, and through the eyes of the children attending, I learned much about nature, and wildlife generally. After an initial period, I then took on two regular weekly commitments with the encouragement the Learning Officer both of which were weekly Forest School sessions. Although very different, both were tremendous experiences for me, and gave me an invaluable insight into the learning process generally and also to the hugely beneficial effects for all children of the Forest School Programme.

Emboldened by my experiences and with encouragement from the Suffolk Wildlife Trust team, I became involved in the Young Wardens Group at Lackford Lakes which I am still actively a part of some 3 years later. This gave me an insight into working with teenage children and gave me experience of helping with coppicing, habitat management and even reindeer making at Christmas time.

We have a brilliant group of over 20 young people, all focussed on the natural world. We are a close group of regular volunteers, with the team managed overall by Sophie the Wild Learning Officer and Joe the Assistant Reserve Warden.

Later in my first year at Suffolk Wildlife Trust, I also committed to working one Sunday morning each month helping to manage a Wildlife Watch Group, with two other volunteers, for a group of young people. The ‘club’ would meet each month and would focus on a specific task which would be advertised in the calendar for the year – tasks would include pond dipping, tracks and trails, and tree identification.

The work with Young Wardens led me to also work with the Lackford Lakes Reserve Work Party managed by Will and Joe. I normally work on a Thursday each week and this opportunity has allowed me to develop practical skills which have been completely new to me, for example fencing, carpentry and habitat management. I have also completed my brush cutting course qualification, with support from Will and the team.

As part of the Work Party, I now help with the ‘Bird Count’ each month for the British Trust for Ornithology. All of this knowledge has been completely new to me and has been a brilliant learning process with help from the team. I have been on the Reserve Work Party now for in excess of three years.

Recently, I was asked to present ‘The Lost Words’ book to a local Primary School for over 100 children, and it was great to see the interest in their faces when talking about different creatures from the ‘Natural World’. The support and encouragement I have received from the team at Suffolk Wildlife Trust has been really very much appreciated and the last four years have been brilliant for me. I have learned so much and have made many new friendships.

I am very proud to be a part of Suffolk Wildlife Trust – the team of staff and volunteers have been instrumental in helping me to successfully transition from my previous working life to my new ‘world of work’ – It really has been the most wonderful experience for me.

During one of the early school visits that I helped with, one of those attending noticed my name badge (Kim Swan)  and said to me "is that why you work here, because you are a Swan" ?

Thank you very much for all the support, help and encouragement from Will, Jo, Hawk, Sophie and Emma, and all of my fellow volunteers, it really has been appreciated.

Kim Swan