And so my last day as a TCV Natural Talent trainee has arrived!
What and amazing and quick year it’s been. On my final blog post I’d like to share some great moments over the past year. Here are just a few of the basic stats…
And a some photos of just a few of many great moments…
Fun surveying for freshwater molluscs in all weathers at Great Traston Meadows and Magor Marsh – Caught in April sleet this time!
..and some summer sunshine! Using the suction sampler in Pentwyn Farm’s gorgeous meadows to survey for grassland slugs and snails
Scrabbling through leaf litter searching for slugs and snails by hand at the beautiful Silent Valley
A thing I never expected to do this year: surveying for molluscs on Magor Marsh pond in a boat!
Visiting TCV in Northern Ireland to deliver some training and doing some sight seeing along the way (with Ellie & Lorna, fellow Natural Talent trainees)
On the road again! This time visiting TCV Stave Hill in London to do some family friendly bug hunting and handling with Natural Networks trainee Claire (hiding behind the camera).
Meeting all the Natural Networks & Natural Talent trainees for our first week of training in Scotland back in January 2016
Meeting up with many of them again six months later in Leeds to share skills and experiences.
Bringing mollusc activities and TCV’s feel good attitude to Bristol with TCV Natural Networks buddy Delyth. Just one of many lovely events I’ve been to this year.
With my mentor Ben Rowson (Mollusca Curator NMW)
A massive thank you to Amgueddfa Cymru – National Musuem Wales for hosting my placement, especially to all the staff in Natural Sciences who have been super supportive and made me feel so welcome. Make sure you pop into National Museum Cardiff if you are ever in the city and check out their incredible exhibitions. You can keep up with what the Natural Sciences staff are up to on Twitter: @Cardiff_Curator
Huge appreciation to Esmee Fairbairn for funding these fantastic traineeships, and for continuing to fund them for the next two years!
Applications for the next round of six traineeships are now open! There is even one at National Museum Cardiff, this time on the subject of grassland Hemiptera. It’s going to be a quick turn around, with the aim of the traineeships starting in April so make sure you apply soon! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
As for me, I’ll be sticking around at National Museum Cardiff for a while, with something exciting in the pipeline. I might pop up again for a quick guest blog when I have the results of my projects all sorted and written up. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter: @I_Cavadino for #MolluscMonday and more..
So long and thanks for all the molluscs!
Hwyl fawr a diolch am y molysgiaid!
Imogen Cavadino
Natural Talent Trainee: Non-Marine Molluscs