Hello and good morning!
How are you today?
So, welcome to another "People at Rainham Marshes" blog post!
There is more to a nature reserve than just the nature! There are more than 100 volunteers and staff that keep this fantastic nature reserve in shape! So this is where you come to find out more!
This time we have Lucy Houliston - I'll let her tell you more...
"I'm Lucy and I'm fifteen years old. Last week I had the amazing opportunity to work at Rainham Marshes as part of my school work experience. It was a brilliant week and it's been great to find out what goes on 'behind the scenes'.
Lucy (on the left) at the very first Warden Experience, identifying invertebrates during the ditch survey.
"I'm a regular visitor at the reserve and can proudly say that I've been to every single Young Warden Experience event held there so far! The first one was back in August 2013 and the activities included building a bug hotel and carrying out a ditch survey. Since then I've had the chance to do all manner of things, such as constructing part of the reed screen that leads up to the Purfleet hide, ragwort pulling and carrying out water vole, lapwing and water life surveys.
This is Ben (Rainham's Assistant Warden), and Lucy fixing reed screen that leads up to the Purfleet Hide.
"Last week I became 'assistant warden', completing all sorts of jobs that help maintain and improve the habitats and variety of life at the reserve. I got stuck in straight away and on Monday morning, headed out to check and record the water levels in the ditches with one of the volunteers. This helps determine whether or not the water is at the correct depth to provide for the range of specialist species that can be found at Rainham.
"This was not my only outdoor task and Wednesday involved helping Nicole, one of the wardens, create a reed channel. This type of management is vital for improving the health of the reedbed and its efficiency as a habitat. Shorter areas encourage floristic diversity and a variety of vegetation age, slow the process of natural succession and contrast with longer areas of reedbed to create lots of 'edge', a factor which benefits the feeding and breeding habits of bird and small mammals. I raked all the cuttings into piles which will act as a refuge for invertebrates and small mammals such as water voles.
"It was hard work but was also very rewarding, and it's good to know that I played a part in looking after the reserve's wildlife. And of course, throughout the week I also got my fair share of wildlife encounters! One morning, as soon as I arrived in the office, we got an impromptu radio call to tell us that a lesser spotted woodpecker had been spotted in the woodland. We rushed outside to see if we could catch a glimpse but unfortunately, by the time we'd got to the place where it had been reported, we'd missed it. However, there were plenty of other opportunities throughout the week that allowed me to see some exciting and new species.
She looks very happy about raking the reeds!
"As well as doing the various outdoor jobs, I also got to help out in the cafe and spent a lot of time in the office working on a project. The aim was to improve the induction booklet that's given to new volunteers by editing and redesigning it. It was an ambitious task, but surprisingly I managed to get it finished by the end of the week, and even though I do say so myself, it does look considerably better than the old one! It should be in use in a couple of weeks' time!
The induction pack does look brilliant now - thank's Lucy!
"On Friday, I went out with the field teachers and a year six class who were on a trip to learn about rivers and water. The day was filled with educational activities which they all seemed to enjoy. They made sketches of the Thames from the river wall and were delighted to discover that the blobs they could see on the other side of the river were seals! They also did some pond dipping, proud to have caught two sticklebacks, a water stick insect and a water scorpion, among other things. A River Thames jigsaw followed lunch and excitement over croaking marsh frogs, and then they had to create their very own river systems out of rope and string.
"I'm missing it already, but I know for a fact that I'll be returning again soon! I must say a big thank you to all the staff and volunteers who let me get involved with the brilliant work they do - I absolutely loved it!"
Lucy was brilliant - she's one to watch as I think she'll be an RSPB Warden in a few years time!
Thank you so much for all your hard work last week Lucy - we miss you too!