We are well into autumn now and the traineeship programme has built up to a crescendo of curatorial work, public engagements, filming with BBC, visit to the Parliament, travelling to a conference in Scotland and attending a week-long teaching course in the Midlands.
We are truly making the most of this complex training programme, gaining insight in areas in which we have never had a chance to explore or experience before such as a Parliamentary debate or speaking in a conference.
Joe has explained all about our curatorial placements in his last blog which was definitely once in a life-time experience for all of us!
In October we had few days of various commitments embedded into our placements. First, we were heading back to Welwyn Garden City for the second leg of the BBC filming sessions. This time around it was all about autumn and autumnal garden life so we were focusing on compost heaps, centipedes, millipides, woodlouse, spiders, fungi and slime moulds. We collected and located a good variety of specimens and I am certain the final cut will be very impressive!
A week later the ID Trainers had the opportunity to attend at a panel discussion in the Parliament led by the NBN for Nottingham in Parliament day following the publication of the State of Nature 2016. The NBN, GIGL, OPAL, Natural England, Defra, FSC and construction company representatives were all present. The debate touched on different barriers and obstacles that prevent a more holistic, environmental friendly decision making in the light of available biodiversity data. Biodiversity data collection in itself is important but not sufficient enough without making the public care about their natural surroundings. Dry statistics is going to draw people in, on the other hand they could more easily relate to an interesting, heart-warming or even to an alarming story. Using citizen science and the communication between scientists and other industries also took centre stage at this debate. The discussion is far from over and will continue in 6 months time.
A few days later the Natural History Museum was buzzing as it was Questival week; a family-friendly, half-term festival where the public could use the Scientist Lending Library; they could quiz scientists about their area of expertise and have a fun, educational day. Sophie and I volunteered to cover a relevant and timely topic of hibernation outside in the Wildlife Garden. We had a nice display of autumnal leaves and hibernating animal models and were lucky enough to have a glass container full of live newts ready for hibernation.
After these engagements we had 3 weeks left from our curatorial placements, so it was the case of finishing off with all our tasks. By the last day of my placement, I had developed a blister on my thumb from handling and re-staging about 1000 of the 1688 Bombus specimens I was working on, which definitely made me feel proud and happy!
A day later we were all sitting on the comfortable Virgin train heading to Edinburgh for the NBN Conference. Joe & I had a bit more on our minds as we were appointed as the speakers representing the ID Trainers and I certainly had to work on those nerves! The conference itself was a great opportunity to do some networking, to meet environmental professionals and perhaps potential employers. We heard some exceptionally good talks from inspirational scientists, volunteers, biodiversity data handlers, verifiers and young naturalists. The UK can take pride in having a rich collection of biological records and the longest-running recording schemes. But there are issues regarding verification, analysation and data usage which need addressing.
A day’s rest at home and we were on the way to the Midlands once more to attend the week-long Education and Training course at Preston Montford, Field Studies Centre. It was an intensive course with many activities and a micro-teaching session at the end. We learnt a lot about different teaching techniques, lesson plans among other things. And now, an assignment is waiting for us to complete.
The following few weeks will be just as busy with selection day for the next group of trainees this week, a Winter Tree ID course which we have been invited to by the Species Recovery Trust, CV writing and interview skills workshop. Phase 4 of the traineeship has begun, creating our final project is still ahead of us but we are simultaneously preparing for securing employment in the biodiversity and conservation sector.
Written by Krisztina Fekete, Trainee, Identification Trainers for the Future.
You can also read Krisztina’s NBN Conference presentation – Mind The Gap! – Challenging taxa in focus