Hello I’m Ash the wetlands management apprentice based with SNH.
I started my apprenticeship about 6 months ago now, but I have been uber busy and usually get into a bit of a rage trying to down size my photos for the blog, so this will be my first blog…hopefully I will do a bit better this time!?
I spend a lot of my time at Flanders Moss NNR, a raised bog, and Loch Lomond NNR, a crazy crazy NNR, it has everything from amazing meadows to the most nasty rank carr woodland that just eats you up and spits you out! But I have also bee working at other reserves such as Insh Marshes, Taynish and Moin Moir. ;I have spent allot of time dealing with invasive species, as well as conducting BTO bird counts, and NVC vegetation monitoring, moth and butterfly transects, talking to farmers about SRDP agreements etc which is grand.
(Yes Amy it is an Argent and Sable Moth!)
I came into this apprenticeship with loads of practical experience from my previous jobs, and I hoped that this apprenticeship would focus more on the natural history side of things, and it hasn’t disappointed so far! I have been given a free rein to find opportunities and develop, so I have been trying to get out and about as much as possible, as well as getting myself onto courses (which is grand as even though I have my BTCV training budget to play with, SNH also seem more then happy to provide funding for my courses…Yee haw!
I had some reservations about moving to the central belt before I started my apprenticeship, but I shouldn’t have, as once I got onto the reserves I found that they can be just as peaceful as some of my favourite reserves in the north, and it also gives me the chance to go further with my conservation work as these places aren’t undisturbed and if anything we need to be even more vigilante.
Asides from my field work I also have some desk based projects, which is a very new experience for me! I have always tried to steer away from any kind of indoor work, and I have never been a fan of computers! I have also not been to uni, I attempted collage four time, but I always got ichy feet! So this is really the first time I have ever had to write anything up! But that is what this apprenticeship is all about!!!
My BIG project is to come up with a new management plan for an area of Loch Lomond NNR, it is a large 28ha rank fen which has had no management for the past 20 or so years. Phalaris (reed canary grass) has taken over the site, the site has large pool systems and a big drain cutting through it. I wont go into too many details but unfortunately it isn’t as simple as just getting cattle to graze, but if I get my way I am going to stick some water buffalo out there!
(This is one of the buffalo I used to work with in a previous job)
But anyway, enough of this, its time for lunch!