I’m Lewis, the new placement at North Wales Wildlife Trust, and I’m very excited to be spending the next year here learning from some of the best in the conservation world. I’m fortunate enough to be working under the expert (and very patient!) guidance of Dr Tomos Jones and Katy Haines, splitting my time between tackling, understanding and spreading awareness on Invasive Non-Native Species and, also, getting stuck into fieldwork across our beautiful, and often very muddy reserves in North West Wales.

I completed my Psychology degree in Manchester last year, but I’ve always felt the pull toward wildlife and the natural world. Throughout university, I regularly volunteered with various environmental groups and found real joy in being outdoors, whether that meant getting hands-on with projects, hiking, climbing or simply chatting with anyone who shared an interest in nature and was willing to listen. So when the opportunity to work with the Trust came up, I jumped at it. It was the perfect chance to gain practical experience in habitat management, help run events, and see conservation in action.

So far, I’ve been involved in everything from dormouse surveys and conservation grazing to supporting volunteers and, yes, I’ve definitely been collecting more than a few insect bites along the way! Every day has brought new experiences and insights and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see how deeply connected everything is, from managing invasive species to monitoring our native wildlife.

I’m really looking forward to the year ahead, both on the reserves and in the office, soaking up as much knowledge (and rain) as possible. If you happen to spot me out and about, muddy, slightly confused, and/or holding a clipboard, please don’t hesitate to come and say hello!

I'll be writing four more seasonal blogs throughout the year to share what I’ve been up to, so this won’t be the last you hear from me!