Meet The Team: Ruby Miller - Learning Officer

This April, we're excited to sit down with Ruby Miller, our incredible Learning Officer at WWT Washington! Ruby joined our team a year ago, combining her passion for environmental education with her love for birds (she's a self-proclaimed bird nerd!). In this Q&A, Ruby shares the joys and challenges of her role, from coordinating school visits to managing spontaneous wildlife encounters.

Ruby’s days are anything but typical, whether she’s guiding school groups on pond dipping adventures, performing as "Ava" the bird-girl puppet, or collecting materials for crafty projects. She’s also part of the heart behind our Generation Wild programme, where kids experience the wonders of nature first-hand.

Hi Ruby! Let’s start with when you joined WWT Washington and what drew you to the role of Learning Officer?

Hello! I’ve been here for a year now, and honestly, it’s been amazing! My background is in therapeutic forest school and environmental education, but I’ve always dreamed of working at a birdlife nature reserve (I’m a total bird nerd!). When I saw the ad for the Learning Officer role, I couldn’t believe my luck – it was like reading a description of my dream job. When I found out I got it, I was absolutely giddy!

Tell us what a typical day looks like for you as part of the learning team?

The wonderful thing about this role is that no two days are ever the same - it’s always changing with the seasons and the challenges that pop up! On a typical day, I’m prepping the learning spaces and getting equipment ready for school groups, which can sometimes mean up to 120 children! When the schools arrive, the learning team divides them into groups for fun activities like pond dipping and minibeast hunting. It’s a well-oiled machine, moving around the site with set timings, though there’s always room for a bit of on-the-spot improvisation when needed. During the quieter, colder months, I focus on looking after our lovely spaces like the Pond Zone and Water Lab and gathering materials for arts and crafts. In autumn, you might even find me collecting “witches’ tongues” (willow leaves), “rats’ tails” (pine needles), and “Dracula’s toothpaste” (mint leaves) for some Halloween potion-making. Basically, I get to be a big kid, and it’s the best!

What is the most rewarding part of working at WWT Washington?

For me, it’s definitely our Generation Wild programme. This funded initiative gives schools with a high percentage of free school meals the chance to experience nature first-hand. The kids get to meet “Ava” the bird-girl (a big puppet who lives in a giant nest!) and complete nature activities. Learning the script and choreography to “become Ava” has been one of the most fun parts of my job! Ava’s story is all about appreciating nature, migration, and independence, and the kids’ excitement and curiosity after the performance is incredibly heart-warming. I’ll never forget a Year 1 student telling me, “I hope Ava is going to be okay flying home, it’s getting really windy now!”

The children’s questions and observations are absolute gold. I keep a “quote of the day” journal, and some of my favourites include: “Could an otter defeat a shark?”, “Do you have werewolves here?” and “I didn’t know ducks could be so beautiful!” Their wonder and imagination make every day feel special.

What challenges do you face in ensuring so many children have the best possible experience?

Weather is definitely one of the biggest challenges when it comes to running school visits. But luckily, we always have a few tricks up our sleeves for those unexpected moments. There have been times, especially last summer and autumn, when the wetlands got a bit too wet, and we had to quickly come up with a plan B - but that’s what keeps the job exciting and dynamic! Another challenge is managing the large groups that visit us, making sure we don’t end up with sixty primary school children all trying to use the toilets at once! Thankfully, our Learning Team - led by Learning Manager Joanne - is amazing at staying ahead of these situations and keeping communication clear. A big shout-out to them for always making it run smoothly!

If a new visitor asked you what makes WWT Washington special, what would you say?

What truly makes WWT Washington special is both the location and the people. It’s like a hidden little Garden of Eden, nestled in the middle of an industrial area - a surprising oasis. Every morning, as I walk down the winding path from the car park, surrounded by the pines, I can’t help but feel in awe. In the winter, when the sun is low in the sky and the Stream Channel is blanketed in frost, it’s just spectacular. The fact that our site is situated on a verge down to the River Wear definitely adds to its magic, even though it can be a logistical challenge at times. It really makes the whole experience feel that much more immersive.

If you could swap roles for one day with a co-worker, who would it be and why?

If I had the chance to swap roles for a day, I’d choose to work with a member of the reserve team. I’d love to spend the day out on the site, doing some hands-on work (and hopefully, I’d pick a beautiful, sunny day for it!). I’ve been lucky to do a lot of voluntary work in land management and habitat restoration, both in the UK and abroad, so I always find it inspiring to see the reserve team’s projects in action, like the Wet Woods development and willow tit project. One of my favourite workdays this year was “the catch” in October, where the team of staff and volunteers worked together to find and health-check every bird on site. I was the “scribe,” jotting down notes for each bird and getting the chance to see them up-close. It was challenging, fascinating, and incredibly rewarding!

What is your favourite species on site?

That’s a tough one! Can I just say all the geese? I’ve always had a soft spot for birds, but geese hold a special place in my heart. They’re long-lived, and the fact that they can fly such incredible distances at crazy altitudes is just amazing - what a life! If I had to pick a favourite, I’d go with the bar-headed goose. They’re the champions when it comes to high-altitude flight, having been recorded flying at over 7,000m! Whenever I’m guiding school groups around the site, I stop by their enclosure and tell the kids that these geese can fly so high, they could soar over mountains. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard, “Can they fly in space?!”

Where is the best spot on site to you?

My favourite spot on site has to be at Ava’s giant nest, along the path that leads to North Wood. It’s in those quiet moments, when I’m setting up before the school groups arrive, that I’m lucky enough to have spontaneous wildlife encounters. Whether it’s a group of six whooper swans flying overhead, a kestrel swooping down to land on a birch tree, or a tiny mouse cautiously emerging from the brambles - there’s always something magical happening. I’ve even spotted a deer doing a few laps along the perimeter fence! In those moments, I always feel incredibly lucky and thankful.

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