What’s new since my first blog post?

In my last blog I said I was excited to meet people who are also passionate about nature – and I definitely have! I’ve met loads of amazing people and I’ve learned lots from them. I’ve continued to look out for interesting fungi and have been learning more about them. I also have even more houseplants now and have started growing flowers outside again now spring is here.

I’ve really enjoyed being involved in a variety of activities at Foxburrow and at other sites. One of my favourites is the regular forest school sessions for home educated children. It was great to get to know them more at each session, and join in with their activities like whittling butter knives, creating leaf prints, making natural dyes, and cooking on the campfire.

The most exciting thing I’ve done is start a new group for 16-25s: Eco Actionists. It’s a group for young people to meet-up and chat about environmental issues, eco-activism and wildlife while doing a creative activity. At the first session the Eco Actionists made zines about sustainable agriculture, species decline, protecting wildlife, and the beauty of nature. Zines are a form of DIY activism – they're a great, creative way to spread awareness about an important message. I’m going to be running pop-up sessions throughout the summer in Ipswich, follow the Suffolk wildlife Trust Instagram to find out about the next meet-up!

Intern Diary: Highlights from my time at Foxburrow
 

April

Easter Eggstravaganza – Lots of people joined us for fun family activities around the site, including an Easter egg hunt with wooden eggs I painted around Crag Pit woods.

School Farm Fair – Kat, Faye, Grace and I headed over to Trinity Park for a great (and really busy!) day chatting with schools about Suffolk Wildlife Trust and running sensory activities. It was also a great opportunity to meet other people working in conservation and outdoor education such as the Woodland Trust and the RSPB.

Teacher Training – Trainee teachers came to Foxburrow for a day of learning about outdoor education, it was great to be able to share our knowledge and skills for them to take back to their schools.

May
 

Staff Away Day – I really enjoyed meeting people who work in all areas of the trust, from conservation to comms, I really felt part of the team! We enjoyed a lovely walk around Arger Fen and the bluebell woods.

Eco Actionists – The first meet-up went really well and I can’t wait for the next one!

Ipswich Induction – I joined Faye at Holywells Park to see how she runs the wild tots sessions there so I can take over from her.

Suffolk Show – Faye, Sam and I were at the pond dipping station. It was great to chat to people who haven’t heard about Suffolk wildlife Trust before and get them excited about what we do, and what they can do for wildlife, too.

I’m now going to be switching with Faye, and will be based in Ipswich for the remainder of my internship. I’m going to miss seeing everyone at Fox each week, but I’m excited to gain new experiences working in Ipswich. Check the What's On page and come join in on an event with me!