What a year to look back on

21 August 2024

My placement year at Caerlaverock has sadly come to an end but what an incredible time to look back on. Living and working at Caerlaverock has been a privilege. I will miss able to step out into such a dynamic and varied environment every morning.

Despite being far from a city, hustle and bustle is never far away if you know where to look. You are surrounded by life and constant change. It is a blessing to have been able to experience all the seasons here and witness these changes as they happen.

One of my favourite memories of winter was the dawn flights. Getting up and out first thing in the morning to eagerly wait for thousands of geese flying inland to feed for the day.

Countless mornings being awoken by the sounds of the yapping geese and whooper swans flying by. Getting to know the whoopers thanks to the thrice daily feeds and discussing their incredible journey with visitors. Seeing the snowdrops stand out as the first sign of spring, followed closely by the beautiful range of later blooming flowers. The opening of the summer trail, being surrounded by buzzing life while walking through.

The experience has not only increased my appreciation for the natural world, but it’s also given me great inspiration and motivation for the future and what I want my career to look like.

The variety of the job role has given me a range of experience and deeper understanding of practical conservation. I have learnt how to drive a tractor, operate a chainsaw, mastered the art of brushcutting, and so much more. I’ve also learnt so much about monitoring, and it’s importance. We did badger survey training, natterjack surveys and countless bird counts. It’s safe to say my identification skills have vastly improved since I started, and I now have a bigger appreciation for so many species, birds in particular. I’ve seen so many birds that I’d never seen before, including the glossy ibis I was lucky to spot during the winter.

I’ve also been able to work on my dissertation project in my time here. This has entailed many moth traps as I have been comparing the moths found in different areas of the reserve. It’s been an incredible opportunity to get to know so many different moth species and also further areas of the reserve I hadn’t really explored before.

I have learnt so much over the past year, and I can’t wait to keep that learning going and enhance the skills I have developed here. The team here at Caerlaverock has made it even more special. Everyone is dedicated to what they do and their motivation is infectious and inspiring.

Thank you for everything Caerlaverock, I can’t wait to come back and visit.