Hello! I’m Cerys, one of the two placement students fortunate enough to be working in the Scottish Lowland department this year. Though it feels like no time at all, the shortening days and dropping temperatures signal the end of my first month with the GWCT; I thought this would be the perfect time to reflect on all we’ve been up to.
The month started with a bang, luckily not literally, as we attended a 4x4 off-roading driving course. Having just got to grips with road-driving in the company pick-up (affectionately named Nathan by previous students) we put it through its paces on uneven terrain, 23-degree slopes and steep ascents and descents. We left with a much-increased confidence and knowledge of how to operate the truck, a new-found appreciation for its robustness, and zero punctures or warning lights!
In the same week, we began the GWCT’s annual autumn partridge counts. These surveys help us track long-term population trends and assess how farmland wildflower habitats are contributing to wider farmland biodiversity. The novelty of seeing these iconic birds has still not worn off. We spend these surveys in the company of a wide variety of other lowland wildlife, including hares, roe deer, goldfinch, skylarks and buzzards, to name but a few. One of several great things about partridges is that, much like myself, they are somewhat averse to bad weather. As a result, we only survey in mild conditions, which has meant we have seen several beautiful sunrises and sunsets, too.
In addition, we have been involved in some peat depth survey work. This was quite physically demanding; after just two days of wading through knee-high heather, the team who had been doing this all summer had well and truly earned our respect. Speaking with them, we learned about some of the challenges facing peatland managers, such as the pervasive heather beetle, which causes wide-scale heather die-back, and the arguments both for and against muirburn in these areas. And, once again, we got to see some beautiful scenery.
In what has been a very busy and very fulfilling first month on placement, I have learned so much. From fieldwork skills to off-road driving to Scottish environmental policy, I have gained a wealth of experience that will be invaluable to me as I look to pursue a career in conservation or ecology.