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In this blog conservation student Quin talks us through their work experience placement with Glendale’s Nature Conservation Officer.

I had a really good time during my work experience at Glendale, learning more about what is involved in conservation as well as meeting lots of people with an interest in nature and doing lots of practical work.

Day 1

My first day was an office day near Mountsfield Park, where I met Emily Millhouse, who was really nice and told me about what her job involved- monitoring wildlife populations in parks in Lewisham as well as leading volunteer groups and teaching at local schools. I redesigned some worksheets for a school trip during the morning and in the afternoon I organised the van and made a list of all the items.

Day 2 

On my second day I met with a group of volunteers in Brookmill Park, we waded down the river, uprooting Himalayan Balsam and other invasive species. It was amazing to see how much wildlife there was in 1 urban river, including a heron, an egret, several crabs, some moorhen nests, multiple flower species,  some ducklings, and a kingfisher box. We also collected lots of litter.

Day 3 

I spent half of Wednesday in the office again editing worksheets and then headed to Ladywell Fields Park. We met Jess who works conserving wildlife in public  gardens around Lewisham and she gave me some useful tips on where to get more work experience and volunteering in order to pursue a career in conservation. We walked around ladywell fields to check up on the river and we saw a mistle thrush and many other birds.

Day 4

Thursday was another river walk in the river Ravensbourne, there was a large group of volunteers this time, many of which volunteered in the river regularly. We picked up a lot of litter as we waded through the river towards Lewisham and uprooted some invasive plants. We saw some fish and shrimps in the river and there were two peregrine falcons nesting in a high-rise building which was an incredibly lucky spot.

Day 5

I met a group of bird watchers in Hilly Fields Park and with our binoculars, we went around taking note of all the bird species. There was a collared dove, a chiffchaff, a great spotted woodpecker, several long-tailed tits, a buzzard flying high in the sky and we heard a nuthatch. We also saw some interesting butterflies and beetles. The volunteers were all really nice people who knew a lot about nature, although it was a bit humbling that a 10 year old could recognise more bird species than me.

In conclusion, I had a lovely time working with Emily Millhouse and Glendale was an amazing organisation to find, and it’s very impressive how much they do to keep the Lewisham parks and gardens in good shape. This work experience week has definitely convinced me that I want to go into conservation.

In this blog conservation student Riley talks us through his second and longer work experience placement with Glendale’s Nature Conservation Officer.

Monday 3rd of February
Today at the office I learned how to remove seeds from Wildflowers, and then put
them into a separate tray to be put into a bag for planting later in the year. I then
went out into the vehicle to attain some young tree whips that was temporarily stored in a
secure area, which we then brought to deposit at Brookmill park. I then learned how
to organise and prepare tools and equipment for the following practical session with
volunteers, such as checking Wellingtons and how many and what sizes were
needed for the day.

Tuesday 4th of February
Today I processed Willow into stakes. We then used the Stakes and left over sticks
to create structures that will be a beneficial food source for invertebrates. I learned
how to use a Sledge-hammer to put in Stakes. I also got the opportunity to give the
volunteers of Rivers & People a Health and Safety talk, and Tool talk.

Wednesday 5th of February
This morning I laminated flower sheets that will be used for a future practical
session. I then finished sorting the Wildflower seeds from the Monday, and then
assisted in the Bird watch at Lady well fields that was partnered with SLAMS. When
we got back to the office, I written down what to say for the Thursday’s Tool talk and
Health and Safety talk to ensure I am more effective at giving important information. I
also learned how to put bird survey data into a system called the “National
Biodiversity Network database”.

Thursday 6th of February
Today we removes Bramble in a “U” shape to allow new plants to develop and thrive.
I then raked the area to clear of any debris, which also helped to see any more litter
than needed to be removed. I afterwards made teas for volunteers and later at the
lodge washed them up. I learned how to make a practice risk assessment with a
chosen scenario; my one was clearing Bramble and placing the vegetation into the
dead hedge.

Friday 7th of February
Today we conducted a bird survey at Mountfield park, we saw a few interesting birds
including two Red wings, a Mistle thrust, Woodpecker and two Goldfinches!
Afterwards, we went inside and I assisted with developing posters of ten lost natural
history words, which will later in the year (possibly summer time) be put in the most
populated parks within Lewisham.
I then finished of the Risk assessment I started producing yesterday, and then Emily
went through my CV for me and gave me useful pointers; including two print out
examples of conservation jobs, and how to depict what to include in your CV and/ or
cover letter to stand out to the job.

Conclusion: Emily Millhouse was a delightful person to do work experience with, and I couldn’t have chosen a better organisation to do my weeks’ experience with; alongside my
Wildlife and Conservation Level 3 Diploma course. This was one of the best work
experiences so far!