I’ve always loved nature and the outdoors, a passion likely nurtured by my near decade in Scouting, and I knew I was meant pursue a career in conservation. My first step was college, where I studied geography, biology and environmental sustainability. While there, the international movement ‘Fridays For Future’ took off, and I found myself in the streets of Brighton with my peers, peacefully protesting for environmental action. Seeing all of these people come together with a shared passion for protecting our planet truly inspired me to take the next step to becoming a conservationist.

Four years later, I’m well in to my third year at Bangor University studying my BSc in wildlife conservation. As part of my degree, I chose to include a placement year in industry to gain practical experience and hone my skills and knowledge before graduation and further education. When I came across the opportunity to apply for a spot within the peatland team at Cumbria Wildlife Trust, I couldn’t let the chance pass me by. The Wildlife Trusts, as a group of organisations, are so prominent and well-known across the country, I knew I wanted to be a part of something so powerful. Having never been to the Lake District and spending the majority of my life solely exploring the South Downs, this opportunity and move has been an incredible experience.

My role as a peatland assistant widely varies from week to week, with my time being roughly split 50/50 between office based and on-site work. When in the office my tasks could include data entry and admin, social media content creation, or aiding the team in planning for events like the Westmorland County Show. Meanwhile, my on-site days can involve hands on data collection and monitoring, working with our peatland volunteers, and visiting sites to help supervise contractors during our Winter restoration season. My favourite part of my placement has to be the flexibility and variety each day brings. When I’m sat at my desk itching to go outside on a slower day, I know I’ll be out again in no time! And likewise, when I’m trudging through thick heather in the rain soaked to my boots, I know I’ll have a nice warm day in tomorrow!

As a placement student with Cumbria Wildlife trust, there is a wealth of training opportunities, both formally and on-the-job. In the four months I’ve been with the Trust, I have already had the opportunity to gain my outdoor first aid qualification, as well as taking part in mountain skills and vegetative grasses ID courses. They also offer tailored career development training to help you refine your CV and interview skills, ultimately improving employability for your future career. In the next 6 months I also intend to take part in the IUCN Peatland Practitioner LANTRA course with Yorkshire Peat Partnership to develop peatland specific restoration skills such as writing restoration plans, using QGIS and tendering for contractors.

Recently, I was able to attend the annual IUCN Peatland Programme conference in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Throughout the event, countless experts gave talks on all aspects of peatland conservation, from monitoring and restoration, to policy and finance. It was an incredibly eye-opening experience, and once again I found myself surrounded by passionate and like-minded people to listen to and learn from.

Grace’s message for young volunteers who are thinking about getting involved and would like to help the environment

As a young person starting out in their career, it’s easy to second guess yourself and lack the confidence to make the leap into something so new and daunting. You may think that you lack the knowledge and experience to make a positive contribution, but that is what student placements are for! They are for you to absorb and learn as much as you can, and Cumbria Wildlife Trust does an incredible job at tailoring their placements towards the student and their interests and needs.     

 So if you’re looking to kickstart a career in conservation, then volunteering with Cumbria Wildlife Trust is a great place to start. Collectively, as people, as a group of Wildlife Trusts, and as students, we have the ability to make a difference.