Winter 2012

Life continues on. I have been keeping busy with volunteering, teaching Karate, and working some more on my photography in spare time. I have also been hunting for a full-time position in nature conservation, and I thought I should share some of the recent happenings, so here goes.

I have been looking for a new job for three months now, and have had three interviews so far. While I have been unsuccessful with these three applications, I received some very positive feedback. Employment is still slow at the moment generally, so although it could be disheartening to have been unsuccessful I am looking at the positives and taking the feedback as a good sign. Keeping busy with volunteering has kept me happy and motivated as well as adding to my experience, so I am trying to keep up my volunteering at various places.

Aigas House, Inverness-shire

The most recent interview I had was actually all the way up in Inverness-shire in Scotland, a fortnight back. Although it was a long way to travel, it was nevertheless a useful experience. The staff at the Aigas field centre were very welcoming, I had the chance to see some beautiful scenery and wildlife (even sat in a hide hoping to see pine martens for a few hours, although none obliged), and I also came away feeling I had performed well in the interview process. When I look back in time three years I can see I have come a long way since graduating from University, and the skills, knowledge and experiences I have gained make me a strong contender for some of these positions. The interview process up in Scotland was an all-day affair, which was a first for me, and included a walk/talk element that encouraged me to evince my identification skills as well as a panel interview and a test of my interpretation skills. Being tested in this way showed me that my own progress has been substantial. The interviewers also told me that I gave a very good interview, even though I didn't gain the position. This, and the high calibre of my fellow interviewees, made me feel proud to have reached the stage I am at now. Patience is a virtue, as I have learnt, in the often competitive environmental fields of work.

Sunrise views from the train, on the return journey through the Cairngorms

Over the past few months I have been devoting some time to volunteering at the Epping Forest field centre; with the extra time I have available, it has been a great pleasure to reacquaint myself with the centre, various duties, and the staff there. While working in my previous Ranger job I would stop by the centre from time to time, but the nature of my job didn't allow me to commit much time to volunteering so it was very sporadic during that period. The staff are so friendly, and very skilled environmental educators to boot, so it is a pleasure to work alongside them and assist them where possible in their teaching. I have also put some time into the Grounds Action team, helping to maintain the centre grounds. Most recently, I attended the "Seasonal Celebrations" to help visiting families with festive arts and crafts. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Natasha making a wreath

Wreath ready for decorating!

In other volunteering, I have also been back to Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park near the O2, a couple of times so far. I was volunteering there last year under the Volunteer Officer scheme through BTCV (now TCV), and being curious to see how the park has changed in a year I headed back for some volunteering. I helped out as part of a work party, maintaining the site habitats, as well as helping with Natasha at a festive event more recently. This "Winter Fair" event was fantastic fun, and very successful, attracting a large number of visitors. The two of us helped with the wreath-making activities in the afternoon, and helped to clear up after the event. The Ecology Park is looking really well, and there have been a number of improvements such as new habitat boxes around the place since this time last year.

Finally, I have been out to try volunteering with EFCV - Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers, who are a lovely bunch that provide some essential muscle in managing Epping Forest (including its tree, grasslands and ponds!). Hopefully I will find some more opportunities to get out with this group, and help to conserve the Forest that I grew up next to.

So, on reflection, since September I have been ranging far for job interviews as well as getting stuck in with volunteering close to home. Not a bad way to spend my days while I am looking for a full-time position, I feel.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year everybody!
T