My summer placement: bats, cuttlefish and BNG
At the end of June, NatureBureau were lucky enough to welcome Isabel into our team for a week of work placement. Through her high school, Isabel was allocated a week of the term time during which she could reach out to local companies to find out what life is like in her dream career.
We spent a busy week with Isabel showing her what our Senior Ecologist Kristina and Marine Projects Manager Athena get up to. Here is what Isabel had to say about her week with us:
| “Since I was a young child, I have always had an interest in the environment, at points it would be the only thing I would talk about. Even now, in Year 13, the only place I can see myself is working alongside the natural world. That’s why, when my school was encouraging us to find work experience for a week, I was ecstatic that I found NatureBureau and consequently got a placement.
On the first day, I was extremely nervous, but very quickly, when introduced to the team, that was replaced with excitement. Athena, the Marine Ecologist, introduced me to the marine projects. Especially one that aimed to find out what creatures were preying upon cuttlefish. I learnt how to identify different marks of predation on cuttlefish bones, which was not what I expected to learn, but found it surprisingly engaging and memorable. On Tuesday, I met Kristina, the Terrestrial Ecologist. I was introduced to legislature surrounding protected species, in particular: bats. We did a desk study that would provide important context for a preliminary roost assessment (PRA) that we would do later in the week. I learnt about what would increase the likelihood of bats roosting in houses, and which habitats are preferred. In the evening, I attended my first emergence survey. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to hear a bat on a detector, it’s a different experience to seeing them flying around your head somewhat erratically. The sound of the bats echolocating and communicating makes seeing bats a lot less scary and a lot more fun. The rest of the week I learnt more about biodiversity net gain and legislature that protects animals and habitats. Including researching the great crested newt to create a presentation on the ecology of the animal, alongside how and why it’s designated as protected. I thoroughly enjoyed my work experience with NatureBureau. The team was so kind and interesting, with the work solidifying my desire to work with the natural environment. I greatly appreciate NatureBureau allowing me to spend a week with them and I hope they know that it was incredibly impactful and enjoyable for me.” |
It’s lovely to see that her time with us encouraged Isabel further to pursue a green career and become part of the next generation to protect our amazing planet. Kristina and Athena had a great time meeting Isabel and showing her around the company and their work.
By Isabel Adams, Placement Student
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