Hola!! I think it’s appropriate to introduce myself before my exciting and thrilling journey beings thanks to TCV in Scotland and Heritage Lottery Fund.
My name is Amanda Joaquin and I am pleased to be one of the lucky 6 Natural Communities Trainees in Scotland. Natural Communities is an innovative programme providing a 12 month long programme to equip trainees with the skills to engage communities with the environment.
My placement provider is with TCV in Scotland as a Discovering Nature Officer and I am based in theStirling office. My placement is to engage communities of the Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire area to become interested in biological recording while supporting the active recorders in these areas.
Part of my role is to try to understand the journey of the volunteer and how they became involved with recording, what recording they carry out, any special interest and if so, are there any barriers preventing recorders continuing and what we can do to overcome these. I will then be able to put in place a suitable and hopefully sustainable plan that TCV and others will help deliver.
I will also look at the established recorders in the area and how we can utilize their skills to carry out surveys, training days and possible mentoring opportunities.
Further into the year, I will also be delivering a series of training events aimed at the recording community.
Before I bagged this brilliant opportunity with TCV I graduated from the University of the West of Scotland in 2010. During University I undertook a mixture of tasks such as a work placement at the Renfrewshire Council. I researched Local Biodiversity information and produced the Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire Local Biodiversity Action Plan website. Furthermore, my Honours Research Dissertation project was based at Lochwinnoch RSPB Reserve and I investigated ‘Wild Bird Preferences of Supplementary Food’.
I have also undertaken a wide range of volunteer tasks from Cetacean Surveys on the River Clyde to trapping perch at Loch Leven National Nature Reserve. Along with volunteering I enjoy raising money for charity. I have abseiled off the Forth Rail Bridge to literally throwing myself out of an airplane for a charity skydive for Friends of the Earth Scotland. Skydiving is a genuine adrenaline rush!
Buzzing after falling back to earth!
Since graduating I became involved with TCV in Scotland as a Volunteer Officer (VO) in the Glasgow office for about a year and a bit. The role of a VO is an amazing experience from leading and assisting groups of volunteers in practical conservation tasks, undertaking biological surveys, supporting the day to day running of the office and so much more. I highly recommend anyone who wants to give something back to the environment, gain experience in the environmental sector or just because you care to get involved. I don’t know where I would be without the VO experience 🙂 !
Glasgow Midweek Group at RSPB Inversnaid
From gaining and learning new skills in the environmental sector I then gained employment as a Seasonal Park Ranger at Loch Lomond & theTrossachsNational Park. This was a brilliant job and a great experience. I undertook a variety of tasks such as Water & Land byelaw enforcement, effective management of National Park facilities such as; informal camping areas and other facilities that are available for public use through engagement with visitors and wildlife and visitor surveys i.e. nest box surveys.
And simply roaming the bonny banks of Loch Lomond!
Stunning view from the top of Ben Lomond
All of this leads me back to the Natural Communities Traineeship.
The Natural Communities traineeship is a superb opportunity to learn how to engage with communities about the environment especially to spark the interest of new biological recorders and to support the existing recorders. This traineeship will broaden my skills to gain the necessary experience to deliver community engagement outcomes and for future employment.
As of now my diary is filling up fast with plentiful opportunities to engage with communities, meet enthusiastic recorders, discover nature and several courses to attend!
Adios for now!
Find out more about the Natural Communities Traineeship