Hi there, as we start to approach the end of the breeding season we are beginning the practical stage of our project. Months of planning by the team is taking shape and boots are on the ground. We've recently grown our ranks by recruiting two new Community Engagement and Conservation Interns who will help to deliver education activities and lead volunteer sessions throughout Blean Woods.
So what better time to start introducing the whole team? Our project is all about people. Both the communities that we are working with and the tight-knit team that are working so hard to make Blean Woods and Seasalter levels more resilient to climate change.
Part 1 of our Meet the Team series focusses on Bradley Andrews - one of our two wonderful interns. Here is a little bit about Brad in his own words:
I was born in the village of Elham in the Kent downs which is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Being fortunate enough to grow up in such a green and beautiful area helped ignite a passion within me for nature and the outdoors.
Since being glued to the TV screen watching The Lion King as a child I’ve always been obsessed with animals, I probably had more animal toys as a kid than I knew what to do with! As I grew up, I always loved being outdoors, through camping with the family, scouts and the D of E award I had so many great experiences in nature.
Before this internship, I completed a degree in Environmental Conservation with International Experience at Bangor University and the University of Ghana. I then went on to gain a qualification in teaching English as a foreign language to help provide and income whilst trying to gain practical experience in conservation.
I’m a big believer in conservation being as holistic and inclusive as possible. If we want to make meaningful changes to our environment I think that we need to involve the public and make nature a priority to them. Community engagement is still an expanding sector of conservation and I’m really excited to be involved in it. If people can discover a love for the outdoors, I believe we can make exciting environmental changes in the future. This internship will provide a fantastic opportunity to be on the “front line” of community engagement.
I think that the RSPB does a great job of making conservation accessible to everyone. Whether it’s at an RSPB site or even just your garden, the RSPB offers a spectrum of opportunities to involve yourself with nature and relevant conservation practices. Often conservation can seem like a specialist sector full of jargon and niche projects. But actually, it’s something we can all get stuck in with! The climate change resilience project going on at The Blean is a great example of accessible practical conservation efforts which everyone can be a part of. Our rewetting of The Blean will create a cascade of positive effects for the ecosystem. Through damming up water channels and creating a more moisture saturated environment we can provide benefits for a whole host of invertebrates, which in turn support our local bird species and our more moisture rich soil will be able to retain more carbon. How amazing!
Photo: Brad stands in front of a rhinoceros in Namibia