Being a trainee for The Bay

It’s almost time to wave farewell to our first set of trainees for The Bay!

Megan and Holly have written about their experience as trainees, and why you should consider applying for our next set of traineeships.

Holly - Barrow

Holly was our trainee for Barrow, and has already gone on to continue working for Cumbria Wildlife Trust as People Engagement Officer for the Dynamic Dunes project!

‘I had been working in an unrelated field after graduating from university 7 years ago, however I’ve always loved being outdoors, and am particularly interested in marine wildlife from growing up on the coast, and from part time jobs (about 10 years ago!).

I also enjoyed regularly volunteering with community groups and helping with organising events. I knew I wanted to change careers but wasn’t sure how to go about it, or if my current volunteering and self-taught knowledge would be enough. I decided to apply to the traineeship to build on my skills and make that step towards a career in community engagement and working in the wildlife sector.

Grey sea slug — Grey Sea Slug by Holly Stainton

I’ve really enjoyed taking people to the beach who had never been before, exploring the rockpools together and sharing the fantastic array of life we have on our coasts. I also enjoyed bringing our ‘mobile rockpool’ to care homes or community groups. It’s great to see people’s faces light up when they see the wildlife in person, and can appreciate how amazing our coasts are! I have so many great moments, but one of my favourites was finding a grey sea slug on one of our rockpooling events! Despite their name they’re incredible and beautiful creatures. I'd always wanted to see one in person and was so happy to have finally found one right on my doorstep!

I’ve gained invaluable experience from the traineeship being surrounded by people with lots of different skills and expertise, and also having the opportunity to access training courses. I’ve had the opportunity to get my outdoor first aid certificate, John Muir award delivery training, delivering citizen science training – from walkover and sediment shore surveys, to transect and quadrat dune surveys. I also had the opportunity to go on a coastal foraging course in Wales; as well as learning how to organise and run events, liaise with different community groups, and gaining skills in teaching mindfulness techniques. Plus a Marine Biology diploma!

Advice I’d give to people considering a traineeship: Definitely go for it, they’re a huge help if you want to get into public engagement or conservation. However you’ll get the most out of the experience if you are self-motivated, and look for courses and opportunities which will help you get to where you want to be.'

Megan - Morecambe

Megan is our trainee for Morecambe. Recently she's had the opportunity to gain a Bike Leader qualification from British Cycling, which has allowed her to lead guided rides in Morecambe.

Ian, Volunteer — Alex and Megan wishing Ian all the best for his move!

'Being someone who is very passionate about nature connection and the intrinsic links between our own and the environment's wellbeing, this traineeship has been a great opportunity to gain a wide variety of experience to share these messages!

The Bay and Myplace teams working together to tidy up some land

I have been able to support the delivery of sessions that create accepting spaces for people who may have challenges with mental health or social engagement. It has been a really rewarding space to be a part of, meeting new people and seeing them grow in confidence. Everyone who comes to the sessions has their own stories and I learn new things from them every week. Being part of these sessions has been so grounding for myself too and reinforces the value of slowing down, taking notice and connecting with the natural world.

I have gone on to organise and deliver my own events including rock pooling, beach cleans, guided cycle rides and walks as well as collaborated with different partners including Green Lancaster at Lancaster University and Morecambe Bay Partnership. Connecting with other organisations and experiencing running events has been really valuable in growing my confidence and understanding of how to create meaningful and interesting events for people.

All of this has been supported by lots of training courses from fire-lighting, tool use, and bush craft to bird ID, many surveying methods, and a marine biology qualification.

The wide breath of experience has enabled me to understand what type of work I prefer and which things I find the most enjoyable. Being in a team with a range of expertise and passions has been great to be a part of and it has been valuable to experience the process of a new project forming and taking shape. From here I hope to continue connecting people with nature to help our wellbeing and to support the restoration of our land and seascapes.'

If you think this sounds like the job for you, take a look at the Job Description and Person Specification and fill out an application! (This link will take you to the Jobs page on the Lancashire Wildlife Trust website).

Traineeship Job Description