Kaylee Fay has now completed the first 4 months of her student placement with GWCT Cymru. Read below to find out what she has been up to during November and December 2024.
“The beginning of November kicked off with a two-day field trip led by Julieanne Quinlan Curlew Connections Project Manager and Katie Appleby Curlew Connections Curlew and Peoples Officer, around several different locations on the Northwest coast of Wales. We met with a different group of second year students studying Zoology from Bangor University on each day to speak to them about the roles within the GWCT and what the Curlew Connections Project is all about. We started at Llanfairfechan before moving to the RSPB Conwy site and finishing up at the Spinnies, Aberogwen. Each site was introduced as we arrived, we then led the students around each site, stopping to identify various species of wading birds (including Curlew) and other species, along the walk we discussed the challenges the birds face and how the GWCT work to support them. I had the opportunity to speak about my role so far within the team and some of the many things that I have accomplished – I am not a great public speaker, and it is a goal of mine to work on that throughout my placement but with the amazing support from the girls (Julieanne and Katie) I felt confident enough to deliver the talk. I received positive feedback which helped boost my confidence.”
“In mid-November I also attended the GWCT All Wales Chair’s Committee meeting, hosted in Powys where I got to witness the planning and discussions that go into the events held by the committees across Wales that fundraise to support the scientific work being undertaken by the GWCT Wales team. I visited Harper Adams University for a career fair where I got to speak to several students about my placement and the many things I have achieved so far, as well as touching on all the projects being undertaken by the trust.”
“My highlight for November would have to be the Lantra accredited 4×4 training course I completed in Bala with my co-worker James Warrington, GWCT Wales Project Officer. I learnt the basics in how a 4×4 vehicle operates and the basic mechanics that make it an off-road vehicle. We then went out in the truck to put theory into practice over many different types of obstacles, such as driving through water and up steep hills. We were taught how to approach it differently depending on whether the ground is wet mud, grass or rock as well as going down steep areas with each ground type. Furthermore, we got an understanding of what angle the vehicle can handle on the side as well as skidding out, how to handle if one, or two of the wheels are off the ground and most importantly how to safely reverse if the vehicle fails to make it up a hill. This training is crucial for driving this type of terrain and I am grateful to have the opportunity to have been able to complete the course.”
“December slowed down in terms of events, allowing me to work from home and focus on creating resources and conducting research as well as taking a small role in managing the social media for GWCT Wales. With help from the team I created a predation guide, covering many aspects, that has now been printed off as a booklet and was given out to predation officers at the Predation Training event held in Newtown. It was a great event giving predation officers a chance to discuss different aspects of their work and struggles they all face, creating a safe space they could talk in confidently whilst educating each other as they shared their experiences. Parts of the Predation guide are also going up on the website with interactive sections, such as the Corvid ID.”
“Education is a big aspect of the work the GWCT do, and with such a wide target audience there must be something for everyone. I got the opportunity to create some resources for the younger audience such as memory games, and wordsearches with varying themes that will all be accessible and free to download from the website.”
“The Big Farmland Bird Count is a significant annual GWCT event and runs from the 7th to the 23rd of February 2025, it encourages individuals/groups of all ages to spend 30 minutes recording species of birds seen on or around farms and is a great way to build records. There are lots of great resources available on the website and I got to contribute by creating games, similar to the ones I created for the GWCT website but with the theme of bird species. It is a great way to start bird ID young and get an understanding of what species are most common.”
“Across the two months I also worked on and created the first GWCT Cymru shop, which went live at the end of November. We will continue to add more designs and more products throughout 2025.”
“I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had so far, having talked to other students and possible applicants for next year’s placement I have really had the chance to reflect on what I have achieved, and I cannot wait to see what 2025 holds!”
The placement application for 2025/2026 is still open and closes at midnight on Friday the 10th of January. If you have any last-minute questions regarding the placement or anything else feel free to contact Kaylee directly:
Email: kfay@gwct.org.uk
Mobile: 07545660086