Six months have come and gone, which means our Marine Futures Interns, Dylan and Rhys have finished their internship in conjunction with Menter Môn Morlais, M-Sparc, The Crown Estate and us (North Wales Wildlife Trust).

Strap in in for one final internship blog from Dylan and Rhys.  

If you ever thought the internship was going to slow down, you would be wrong. We have managed to fit so much more in these past few months.  

After the halfway presentation we were in high demand! We lived a week in the life of a public speaker. We presented to the board of directors at Morlais and to our colleagues at North Wales Wildlife Trust. We have been so grateful to have opportunities to improve our public speaking and presenting skills. We were also tasked with representing The Crown Estate and all partners in the internship, at Bangor University careers fair. It was really fun to speak to Ocean Science students and highlight the opportunities that this internship can provide.  

We have been back on the road with the Offshore Energy Alliance (OEA), this time at a supply chain and networking event in Bolton Wanderers FC stadium, hosted by the structural steel contractor, Severfield. It was great to network with so many different supply chain companies and watch them discuss opportunities for the offshore wind sector. We were also impressed by the scale of some of Severfield’s projects, having also worked on the very stadium we were sat in. The buffet was also the best we have had all internship! 

Next up, we were helping restore native oysters in Deganwy and Conwy Marina’s with ‘The Wild Oyster Project’, assisting with mortality and biodiversity counts. As well as seeing the absolutely beautiful looking European oysters, we also saw European eels, shrimps, butterfish, sea scorpion fish and handfuls of crabs. Rhys also managed to set off his life jacket on the pontoon in front of a group of people he had only met ten minutes before…such a great look! 

After that horrendous ordeal, we next visited Anglesey Sea Zoo, to have a day full of inspiring story telling with our Seagrass Ocean Rescue champs with Nicola Davies. For those readers who lived through the eighties, you might remember Nicola Davies from ‘The Really Wild Show’. So, of course we had to tag along. Nicola got everyone’s creative juices flowing by doing some word exercises and inspired us to write an ode to the ocean after a brain-stimulating walk along the beach.

We then split up (not sure how we coped without each other). Rhys attended the EcoWind and EcoFlow Annual Impact Meeting (AIM) Conference in Southampton representing The Crown Estate. This conference had a focus on the ecological consequences of rapid and large-scale expansion of offshore wind (fixed and floating) in UK waters. Over 2 days it brought together researchers and decision makers to discuss cutting edge research with a focus on how this can assist policy in the marine environment moving forward. Dylan attended a Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum event in Milford Haven, the topic of which was ‘Nature and Marine Energy in Focus’. The talk brought together a panel of experts from The Crown Estate, Celtic Deep and OWC, to talk about the increasing problems facing nature in the light of increasing marine energy development. 

We have picked up a few more projects during our last few weeks. One is testing water quality in Anglesey with Earthwatch Europe, to better understand the effects of pollutants on our waterways. It is always fun trying to do science experiments in the boot of a car. The things we do for science!

There has been a mad rush on to finish our final project as well. A project on ‘Nature Inclusive Design for Marine Renewables’, essentially aiming to make offshore renewable energy structures more nature friendly. It has been a brilliant project to work on and we’ve had invaluable conversations with experts within the industry. We also released a consultation on the topic, and again, the responses we had were amazing. Our knowledge has increased to new heights on the topic and even though we do not feel like experts on nature inclusive design, people keep on telling us that we are! 

We were honoured to be able to present our work at the final presentation-  - celebration day, in London with The Crown Estate. It was an excellent experience and we both feel so much more confident in presenting and public speaking,  as a result of this internship. It was lovely to have Reece and Nia from the North Wales Wildlife Trust and Fiona from Menter Môn Morlais in London supporting us, as well as Debbie and Ffion from M-SParc supporting online. Our fellow interns did an incredible job of presenting their projects too! 

Last but not least, one of our final tasks of the internship was to organise the North Wales Wildlife Trust Christmas party. Organisation had been going on in the background for the last month. We all had a fantastic time, from quiz rounds on flags to tin-foil creations and renditions of Tina Turner’s ‘Proud Mary’ (rolling, rolling, rolling on the river!). 

We asked Rhys and Dylan some questions as they clocked out of the internship, and wish them both all the best for the future! 

What is the main skill you taken out of the internship? 

Dylan
It’s really hard narrow it down to just one skill but I would say presenting skills. If you were to ask me to do a presentation at the start of the internship I would be a nervous wreck, but now I get excited at the thought of presenting my work.

Rhys
I think the main skill I have regularly used and developed throughout the internship is networking, which is so key in this sector. Throughout the internship there is no shortage of opportunities to network with representatives across the marine sectors and I now feel that I have the confidence and knowledge to do so effectively.

What are you looking forward to over Christmas? 

Dylan
I am looking forward to having a short break, eating a lot, playing a lot of games and all the presents from Father Christmas. 

Rhys
I am looking forward to having some well-earned time off, heading back down to south Wales to be reunited with my fluffy cockapoo, Murphy, as well as seeing my family and friends. 

What is next for you both? 

Dylan
I am currently on the lookout for jobs but will be continuing to work for the North Wales Wildlife Trust as a Living Seas Assistant, until the end of January. It will be brilliant to complete and start projects that we did not have a chance to undertake in the internship. 

Rhys
After Christmas I am looking forward to re-joining the North Wales Wildlife Trust as a Living Seas Assistant, where I can focus my time and effort into conserving and restoring the amazing habitats and species surrounding our coasts. I am also applying for a PhD which will start later on in the year, fingers crossed!