New(ish) RSPB recruit Aimée Nicholson talks about her work as Community Engagement Officer in England for the Hen Harrier Life Project.
I have been working for the Hen Harrier Life Project for a little while now so I thought it was about time I introduced myself to you all.
My role involves working with communities in and around the Special Protection Areas in England that are designated to have breeding hen harriers living in them. These are the North Pennine Moors and the Forest of Bowland.
This work involves school outreach sessions in primary and secondary schools, as well as working with game keeping students, giving community talks and attending country shows in the summer.
The role has me travelling around a lot and last week took me across to the University of Cumbria in Ambleside where I was giving a seminar on hen harriers and the uplands. I presented to a group of current students, prospective students, parents and the local University of the Third Age group so there was a large audience of keen listeners.
The engagement with the seminar was excellent and there were some very insightful and thoughtful issues raised, as well as a real willingness by a number of the students to get further involved in hen harrier conservation. This is the part of the job that is so rewarding; inspiring young naturalists is so important for the future of conservation.
This was our second visit to the University of Cumbria in a number of months and hopefully all the enthusiasm of those I spoke to is currently spreading its way across the Lake District.
If you live in and around the hen harrier Special Protection Areas and are interested in booking a community talk, school outreach session, lecture, seminar or workshop please get in touch by emailing me at aimee.nicholson@rspb.org.uk.