Student George Davenport reports on his internship - assisting with ecological surveys as part of the Wyescapes project

Student George Davenport reports on his internship - assisting with ecological surveys as part of the Wyescapes project

Over the last few months I have had the pleasure to join the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust on the Wyescapes project as part of an internship University Module.
Young man holding a black folder stood outdoor with hedgerow behind

I am currently in my second year at the University of Gloucestershire studying Environmental Science and Ecology, and decided to choose a module where I had to find and complete a 40 hour Internship with a company or organisation. I reached out to the volunteer email and quickly received a reply suggesting I could join the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust on baseline surveying of land under the Wyescapes project, which covered the skills I wanted to gain from this placement perfectly. 

The Wyescapes project is a long-term landscape recovery scheme in the Wye catchment involving over 50 landowners, which aims to restore the habitats surrounding the Wye to a healthier condition while still considering the needs of landowners and local communities. 

My role throughout this placement was to assist my internship supervisor, Esther, in conducting baseline surveys at a variety of different sites to establish the current ecological value and potential for Biodiversity Net Gain. Some of the habitats we surveyed included rivers, woodlands, grasslands, wood pasture and wetlands. 

As I continued throughout my Internship, I had many opportunities to develop my skillset and learn industry-standard techniques of species identification, survey design and recording data in line with DEFRA’s biodiversity criteria. These skills not only deepened my understanding of ecological surveying but also gave me confidence in applying what I’ve learned in a real-world setting. 

Some of the highlights of my time with the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust were getting the opportunity to meet and talk with landowners who share the same passion for conservation and wildlife as I do while visiting some of the most unique and beautiful habitats in Herefordshire. A particularly memorable moment was visiting one of the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust's own reserves, Oak Tree Farm to survey a pond containing a variety of different aquatic and semi-aquatic species as well as a biodiverse wildflower meadow, also getting to see the change from when I visited with a volunteer workgroup last summer. 

Overall, this placement has been incredibly valuable, providing me with real-world experience learning and applying various surveying skills and giving me insight into what a potential career in conservation could look like. I am extremely grateful to the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust for providing me with this opportunity and would highly recommend some of the similar hands-on volunteering work offered.