Summer work placements

In the summer of 2011 I managed to find myself two work placements which would go towards my 100 hours needed for my foundation degree. The first was two weeks with the North Devon Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) based in Bideford, Devon. The second was working with the National Trust Rangers in Bude over the summer.

The Office

The NDBR is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the first of its kind in the UK. Its main roles include maintaining coastal paths and the Tarka trail, educating the public through volunteer days, working with the public to improve the local area and celebrate local culture, help revive biodiversity and to work on climate change issues, locally and worldwide.

In my time spent here I learnt how to identify plants, surveying techniques, working with and managing the public, designing posters, displays and map reading. The surveying included Rhinanthus minor (Yellow rattle) and Crocosmia (Montbretia). Yellow rattle has been tried out in hedges along the Tarka trail and in Northam as a growth control as local councils have cut the amount of times the hedges are cut from 18 a year to 2. Montbretia was surveyed at Spekes in Hartland and is being surveyed over a 5 year period (2011 is the 4^th year) to see how much it is spreading. At the end of the 5 years the information collected will be evaluated to find the best method to remove or if it needs removing at all. I also got to help work on their Biodiversity Action plan, take photos of Braunton Borrows for a magazine article, make public information posters on recent coppicing along the Tarka trail and talk to Bideford College about putting up Apus apus (Common Swift) boxes.

Crocosmia (Montbretia) at Spekes

With another volunteer I also got to help organise and take part in a Balsam bashing day, set up to help clear some of the Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam) along the Tarka trail. Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam), is originally from the Himalayas, between Kashmir and Garwhal, also known as Indian balsam and Policeman's helmet, among others. It has since been introduced and become widespread in Northern and central Europe, temperate North America and New Zealand, which shows Himalayan balsam can adapt to different climate conditions from its native home. In 1987 it was ranked one of the top twenty invasive species in the UK.  The plant was brought to the UK in 1839 for ornamental planting in gardens, so is not a native plant and the collapse of many rural estates introduced it from gardens and into the wild. Himalayan balsam is an annual plant and is known to grow to around 2.5 metres which shades out other flora and can reduce their germination. It grows very fast and is generally found on riverbanks although it has also been seen elsewhere such as waste lands. Studies have shown it can reduce species richness within an area by 25%. 

Pulling Himalayan balsam

Working with Himalayan balsam was very interesting and this helped me decide on my second year project. My time spent with NDBR was very educational. I felt I learnt how work is really undertaken when in the work place and I would be expected to work if I got a job in this field. It has made me more interested in plants, especially non-native plants, after my work surveying them. I also got to continue work for the NDBR over the summer by helping out with a beach clean they had organised and again visiting Spekes to survey the Montbretia when it had started to flower.

Braunton Burrows

My second work experience was with the National Trust. This work involved more maintenance instead of surveys. The work included beach cleans, repairing fences, painting, putting up and taking down fences for events, making bird boxes, recycling and building a dry stone wall. I stayed at the National Trust from July to the beginning of September, just before my course restarted. 

Dry stone wall

I tried to pick to different work placements so I could gain different skills and have a clearer idea of what it is I could or want to do when my degree is finished.