Leila Anderson-Bryan

Going into the traineeship, I didn't entirely know what to expect or even how I would get there. Luckily, the amazing staff who run the Traineeship came together and organised transport for those who needed it, planning daily pickup and drop off points with excellent communication throughout.

On the first day of the Conservation and Climate Change Traineeship, we were based in the beautiful Aberduna Nature Reserve. In the morning, we were taken on a guided tour of the reserve, through the grasslands and forests, where it was teeming with wildlife. We had the chance to discuss local conservation practices used by the Trust. In the afternoon, we were shown how to safely handle scythes and three-pronged forks, before using them to maintain the reserve by removing a large amount of bracken and thistles, which can outcompete other species. Getting hands-on with practical conservation work helped me understand the importance of balance within an ecosystem.

On Tuesday, we had the amazing opportunity to achieve a first-aid training qualification, delivered by 1FirstAid1. This taught us essential skills for working safely with groups outdoors and how to respond if an emergency arose. I found this day to be incredibly rewarding and fascinating, as first-aid is a lifelong skill that could potentially save someone's life. This is particularly important for conservation work, as we are often outdoors, meaning that knowing how to perform CPR or put someone in the recovery position could come in handy.

On Wednesday, we visited Talacre beach, which has an amazing variety of habitats in one area, including sand dunes, flats, and, of course, the sea. We focused on marine conservation, participating in the great egg case hunt run by the Trust and Project SIARC. We surveyed the length of the beach by searching along the shoreline. I didn't find many myself, but the other group found an entire football field's worth! Seeing just how many egg cases could be found along one stretch of beach really showed us how much marine life can be right on our doorstep. The Y Mor a Ni team joined us for the day, helping us with a strandline survey where we took part in a species identification and reflected on what the ocean means to us. I learned more about marine protected areas (MPAs) and how we can come together to protect what we love.

Matilda Joy-Camacho

On Thursday we visited Llyn Brenig and were guided through surrounding heathland. We were taught to identify different bird species and were lucky enough to glimpse two cuckoos interacting in flight. Having never before seen a cuckoo, this was one of my favourite moments of the day. It was a breath of fresh air to be amongst others of my own age who were similarly captivated by wildlife. We all stood clutching binoculars, waiting our turn for a better look through the big scope. After this we visited the volunteers overseeing the osprey watch. We saw the ospreys flying in the distance and had the opportunity to watch them on the nest camera. Brenig Osprey Project volunteer, Andy, passed on some of his vast knowledge about ospreys and his enthusiasm was infectious.

Friday was spent back at Aberduna where we learned about important aspects of the Trust, such as marketing and communications. This was an opportunity to gain insight into the variety of roles carried out by North Wales Wildlife Trust staff. We finished the day with some bushcraft activities. We were shown how to make nettle cord and taught the principles of safely lighting a campfire. We then took a final walk around the reserve and were taught to identify different species of lichen and meadow plants.

Two weeks later I went back to Llyn Brenig to help out at a family day with some of the others who had attended the traineeship. I helped with the pond dipping activity where we looked for different species like dragonfly larvae, newts and water boatmen. Overall, it was very rewarding to be a part of the traineeship and I would highly recommend it to other young people who are looking to engage more with nature.