4 minute read
My wild life
Sophie Yeomanson
This spring the Trust said farewell to Sophie Yeomanson, Trainee Assistant Reserves O cer. Sophie developed an interest in wildlife at a young age and went on to complete a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Sparsholt. She joined us in the summer of 2020 for a placement designed to help provide her with the essential practical skills needed to pursue a career in conservation management. She tells us what her experience with the Trust has been like and describes some of the skills she has gained.
It has been strange starting
a new job during lockdown. Everyone at the Trust has been friendly and supportive, but I have only met a handful of people face to face. Working for the Trust has been a dream come true for me, and I am so pleased that I’ve had this opportunity.
I was first introduced to Hampshire &
Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust when I was at school in Year 6. We visited Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve on a school trip and it made a big impression on me - I even kept the schoolwork I did, which mentions pond dipping as my favourite part of the day. It turns out that my school, Sarisbury Junior School, was the very first school to visit when the Swanwick Education Centre opened back in 1993.
I grew up near Swanwick Lakes, so I have been lucky enough to visit regularly. My family aren’t what you’d probably call “outdoor people”, but we did enjoy going for family walks there regularly. When I got a bit older, I became a volunteer with the Trust and worked at Swanwick Lakes, so it is fair to say that I feel emotionally invested in that nature reserve.
Throughout my traineeship, I have
been working with the team to cover ten different sites, including Swanwick Lakes. I have developed practical skills such as brush cu ing and received training in how to lead groups of volunteers. Winter (and lockdown) was difficult as we had no volunteers. Working on the nature reserves is physically hard at the best of They are all so engaged with what I do - I’m always ge ing messages from various family members asking about different birds or things they’ve seen, and calls from grandma asking about gardening – I love it.
My placement with the Trust has
made me more certain than ever that I want a career in land management for conservation. In fact, one day, my ideal job would be my manager Chris’s job as a Reserves Officer! I will be working for the RSPB as their Community Shorebird Officer for the Solent from this spring, so, I will be staying local and able to continue doing what I love. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve will always have a special place in my heart and, hopefully, in future, I will be able to return to the Trust, working on their nature reserves once more.
CAMERON REID Marsh harrrier coming to land in the reeds Education group at Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve
times, but without the extra support, it was even more testing. The additional time with the Reserves Officers meant I could ask lots of questions, though, so there have been some benefits! My standout moment during my traineeship was doing a site check at Farlington Marshes Nature Reserve and a marsh harrier swooped right in front of me – amazing! My advice to anyone visiting one of the reserves is to stop and pay a ention to what is around - listen to the bird song, look around. My dad is very jealous of my job now; I think he’d like to be working outdoors rather than in an office. My enthusiasm for nature has impacted my whole family.
Do something amazing for local wildlife
FORAWILDERFUTURE:hiwwt .or g .u k / l e ave g ift in-will
Leave a gift in your Will
In 2020 funds left through gifts in Wills were used to repair and upgrade the fence around the meadow at Coulters Dean Nature Reserve. This work keeps our small herd of sheep safe whilst they keep the chalk meadow in top condition. Flowers such as greater butter y orchid, rock rose and eyebright continue to ourish as the living legacy of these kind gifts.
Do you have a vision of a wilder Hampshire and Isle of Wight, where nature thrives and communities are connected to the natural world around them? If so, once loved ones have been taken care of, could you do something amazing and leave a gift to local wildlife in your Will?
Find out more at www.hiwwt.org.uk/leave-gi -in-will
VIEW ACROSS COULTERS DEAN - PAUL GONELLA
