My first week I was thrown right into some hands-on work, as I got introduced to Shoresearch, the intertidal survey project North Wales Wildlife Trust takes part in. Over this placement year I’ve done quite a few of these surveys. It’s a great project to get involved in if you love the sea, allowing you to get to know so many different rockpool species, see some of the most colourful marine life without a wetsuit and snorkel or diving gear, and help out with conservation efforts by documenting which species live where.

Not only did it improve my species ID and biological sampling skills, it’s also given me the chance to get out and about in North Wales and see some of the coastal sights the area has to offer. I’m originally from the Isle of Man, where we have gorgeous coastal cliffs and hidden beaches plus a beautiful array of sea life, and getting to appreciate what North Wales has in comparison was a brilliant opportunity for me. Porth Oer on Anglesey is a particularly beautiful shore that we sampled, known for the whistling sound you sometimes hear when walking on the sand, but more notably for me, the rocky shore there is almost entirely this gorgeous pink colour from the algae species that live there. Mostly, we worked on using quadrats, these square frames that we place down randomly to sample what lives in that area, as well as doing timed species searches for potential invasive species. North Wales has a few, and it’s helpful to know where they are and where they might go next when it comes to the efforts to control them.
 

In that first week I also got introduced to the Seagrass Ocean Rescue Champions (fondly nicknamed the Champs) who you may have heard of, a group of young people interested in conservation that help with Project Seagrass’s restoration efforts in North Wales. We headed down to Hafan y Môr in the wind and rain, got our waterproofs on, and waded out through the shallows to the sandbank that has seagrass beds that were planted a year or two ago. We spent a bit of time measuring plants in both length and number before we got ourselves back to the van to dry off and warm up. Conservation is fun, but often not easy-going! Maybe sticking to seagrass seed bag filling when the weather’s not playing ball is the nicer option.

I also got to work really prominently on Project SIARC, which is probably where I learnt the most new skills. North Wales Wildlife Trust’s part to play in this project is on the community engagement and education side, and most of that is done through egg case hunts. For those that aren’t familiar, what you might know as mermaid’s purses are actually shark eggs, washed up after the shark pup has hatched out. We run a lot of public searches for these to build up a picture of which species are reproducing and living off our coasts, which is information that often informs where marine protected zones and other areas like them are set up. I went from attending these almost as a volunteer to running my own entirely—I’ve even got a couple in Porth Neigwl and Criccieth coming up this weekend and there’s still time to book! It’s been a real learning curve to become familiar with organising, promoting and running my own events, but it’s been good fun to try my hand at something completely new.
 

It'd be hugely irresponsible for me to forget to mention my work with marine mammals, given it’s probably my favourite area of marine conservation. I’m a massive lover of grey seals, which you may know we have a lot of here in the UK. I had the absolute pleasure of getting to work with a volunteer group that monitor seals along the North Wales coast, both logging them myself and educating the visiting public on all things seals. Though not directly through the Trust, I also ended up assisting in a rescue of some stranded common dolphins as a trained British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) medic during my work day. While it wasn’t something done through this placement, it’s something that proved to be really great experience. It isn’t for the faint of heart though, as we spent seven hours in the cold providing first aid to, monitoring, and herding dolphins.

It’s been so fun getting to know so many knowledgeable people along this year, and I’ve really gotten the chance to get stuck in with education and engagement work, which is one area of conservation I enjoy the most. There’s something for everyone and plenty of opportunities to get involved, so whether you enjoy getting your hands dirty with practical work on the reserves or helping educate the public about our lush and diverse wildlife, there’s a way into conservation. If you pop along to some marine-related things I may just be there helping out!