Hi everyone,
I have spend an inordinate amount of time at this microscope this last month identifying specimens from Blenheim Palace and Woodwalton Fen. The good news is that I have identified everything now, except the specimens I sent off to experts for identification. These trickier ones that I couldn’t manage to identify include some red and black click beetles in the genus Ampedus. All of which are uncommon / rare deadwood associated species but all look the same. I have sent off a sample of each one to be DNA tested which is rather exciting.
I have started to get my data into a format into which I can analyse it and also so it can be submitted to national recording schemes and local records centres. Getting the data into a format that they can use is very time consuming but is essential in my mind, as it enables the data to be used as widely as possible to conserve the species that I have recorded. I have also started writing up my results so that some can hopefully be published in a journal such as ‘The Coleopterist’ and also so I can report back to site owners / interested parties.
In the last month I have also:
- Attended a regional CIEEM conference which is looking at balancing ecological and historic interests, including talks on veteran trees. I was given the opportunity to explain how vane traps work during one of the workshops, which was great
- Attended the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Societies conference and AGM in Cardiff. This was really amazing and revitalised my knowledge and interest of this group.
- Attended a course on woodlice, centipede and millipede identification. This was also rather good and I managed to identify all my woodlice from my pitfall traps at Woodwalton Fen. I turned up some nice fenland specialist species.
The end of my traineeship is rapidly approaching now and I have been reflecting on what I have learnt. I have learnt a lot of taxonomic skills but for me this is less important than some of the other things I have learnt including confidence, communication skills, project management skills etc which will hopefully enable me to move on to a great conservation job in a few months time. I am very thankful to TCV, Natural England, Bugife and Esmee Fairbairn for all of this.
It is going to be another busy month, so why not keep up with my traineeship by following my personal Twitter account and the Natural Talent Twitter account.