Morning!
How are you all today?
So, I haven't interviewed a volunteer for a while so I thought it was time to do the next in the mini series about the "people of Rye Meads". There is more to a nature reserve than just the wildlife - it takes just shy of 100 volounteers to keep Rye Meads a special place!
So here we are interviewing Tom Mason:
What do you do at Rye Meads? Lots! I am one of the leaders for the Wildlife Explorers Club, Wacky Wildlife Adventures, family walks, and other events and other roles on the reserve. (Tom does quite a lot of Roving Reserve Guide volunteering, you might see him around the reserve talking to people and showing them wildlife).
How long have you been at Rye Meads? As a volunteer 4 years, since the age of 14. But I’ve been coming to the reserve for 10 years, since I was 8!
Why Rye Meads? I have an interest in pursuing a career in conservation, it’s my local reserve and it’s wonderful. It’s good fun, and it’s nice to make a positive impact on the natural world, I’m doing my bit to step up.
What do you enjoy most and least about your roles here? I enjoy interacting with the public, seeing wildlife, showing people what the natural world has to offer. What I enjoy least... I don’t know, that’s difficult.
What is your favourite hobby? Wildlife photography! I have a blog if you would like to have a look: www.tommasonphotography.wordpress.com I’ve been sponsored by Lowepro, Wimberley, and Wildlife watching Supplies (and he’s only 18!!!)
This is Tom taking a picture of the honey bee swam that appeared on the reserve in June. (Click here for more details) Look at the top left of the pictures you can see the swam.
What got you into wildlife? I watched David Attenborough and then my Mum brought me over to Rye Meads... and I’ve never really left!
What is your favourite creature and why? Long tailed tits – they always look like they have having fun, the always look like their happy, always summer saluting round trees, always make you feel happy when you’ve seen one and they are tiny, very cool.
John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
Do you have any funny stories about the reserve? In the summer I hardly ever make it home dry, even on the hottest day in summer I still go home drenched (water fights have been a fun way to cool down on our Wacky Wildlife Adventure days during the summer holidays... Tom gets picked on by the kids they’re all determined to get him soaked!)