Hi Guys!
My first blog as the new “naturally talented” Headwaters Apprentice! Where do I start? Well I guess in the headwaters is a good place! Which is indeed where I spent my first day in the job, up a mountain in the Lake District, fittingly named Hel-velyn! Just kidding… 800m up a hillside still home to snow in late April was an experience, one that over the next 15 months I’ll will become acustomed to and grow to love…even more!
To date I have been lapping up the perks my apprenticeship. I’m based at the Clyde River Foundation (CRF) which is housed within the architecturally stunning University of Glasgow. Our office and lab, windowless as they may be are situated in the Huntarian Museum of Zoology, in which there are loads of weird and wonderful fossils and taxidermy. The walk to the tea-room is an interesting one let me say! The Clyde River Foundation is a registered charity which researches the ecology of the Clyde and its tributaries, and promotes environmental education throughout the catchment. My mentor Dr. Willie Yeomans has been first class in preparing me for working on the headwaters! So far I’ve had a grand tour of the Clyde catchment, in the words of Willie, “a serious piece of water!”. Over 200 miles in one day… I saw A LOT including an Osprey with brown trout in-claw…whilst I ran along a country lane in socks with camera in hand trying to take a snap!
When I’m not outdoors collecting samples of invertebrates (which I enjoy the most) I’m in the lab sorting and identifying them, trying to tell the difference between tiny insects down to the species! This is a skill that I’ve yet to master, but was greatly helped by the Invert ID course in Stirling! Cheers Craig! Not to mention my new colleagues at the Foundation who have been teaching me, hairy armpits anyone?!
As well as all the above I’ve been making contacts within the realm of science, I’ve been on a Geomorphology training course taken by Prof. Malcolm Newson and become a qualified electrofisher! These courses have been really valuable as I’ve acquired tranferable skills for the working world!! 🙂 The electofishing was a fantastic course, check me out “absorbing” all the info on the pebble beach in the photo! I’m also modelling the typical fieldwork attire, health and safety is paramount!! 
I’ve also had the opportunity to meet some really influential people whom I hope can give me guidance and ideas for a headwaters project of my own. I visited the Freshwater Biological Association in Windermere for example, it was such a great place I didn’t want to leave. This week I hope to pay a visit to Aberystwyth University in Wales and perhaps fit in some headwater action!
Well thats all from me… I’ll updated you soon no doubt!