Hi! I’m Ami and I’m thrilled to introduce myself as another of TCV’s Natural Communities Trainees for 2014. This year, I have the quite lengthy title of ‘Peatland Reserve Engagement Officer’ and I’ll be working on two different sites, for two different organisations. For my first placement I’ll have the pleasure of working for Butterfly Conservation Scotland, where I’ll be working on Wester Moss SSSI, a raised peat bog nestled amongst the small community of Fallin, in Stirling. For the second, I’m fortunate enough to be working for Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) where my focus will be on Blawhorn Moss NNR and the community of Blackridge in West Lothian.
So how did I get here and why?
I have my heart set on a job as a countryside ranger or a similar role that combines my love of nature with the opportunity to share this with others. This position seemed to do just that, whilst also being an ideal opportunity to learn about a new and fascinating habitat.
I began by studying for an HNC in Forestry and then an honours degree in Countryside management. After university, I volunteered with TCV for a year as a Volunteer Leader and gained valuable experience in carrying out practical conservation tasks and leading volunteer groups. I also did pockets of volunteer work with countryside ranger teams, including doing some butterfly monitoring on a peat bog in East Kilbride. Before arriving here, I spent a summer teaching a kids nature club for a local community allotment (Shettleston Growing Project) who were kind enough to give me my first paid position since leaving university.
So… bogs!
Brown. Wet. Muddy. Just a few of the words that are too often associated with the word ‘bog’. I’m here to change that. I’m here to show people that in spring, you can see the first of this years’ dragonflies darting across the bog pools; that in summer, there can be so many colours in a raised bog, that it’s been likened to a Persian rug; that in winter, it’s a perfect place to spot the short-eared owl hunting for prey and that sometimes, when you jump on a raised bog, it feels like you’re standing on a bowl of jelly! My job, in a nut shell, is to help local communities experience and engage with the fascinating nature on their doorstep.
I’ll leave you with this stunning painting that I discovered on a quick google image search of raised peat bogs. It’s exactly the kind of thing I hope to inspire in others over the next year.
Kenneth Webb (http://cetartauction.blogspot.co.uk)
Until next time 🙂 , Ami