Hi everyone!

My name is Phoebe and I’m lucky enough to have been doing a 5-week work experience placement with the Alderney Wildlife Trust this summer.  I am an A-Level student back in the UK where I study Maths, Biology, Geography and Further Maths, with the hope of studying Geography at university. My main interests lie in conservation work and the complex dynamic between the natural and anthropogenic worlds.

I have been coming to Alderney every summer since before I was born, because my grandmother lives here, and have seen first-hand the growth of the Wildlife Trust as it has integrated into Alderney society, to become the thriving community hub it is today. This summer I was so excited about getting involved!

My time with the Wildlife Trust has been utterly incredible and eye-opening! I have been involved in a huge variety of projects and activities which the Wildlife Trust runs to help protect this amazing island, including: butterfly transects, observing puffin cams and cutting down willow with the Conservation Volunteers (CVs) to feed to the cows as a form of aspirin. My favourite activity was bee DNA sampling for a PhD student from the University of Bath. We had to collect DNA samples from Bombus Terristris (bumble) bees and send them to a lab for analysis. This data will then be compared with English bees to test the effect of pesticides. This project is so fascinating and I am eager to find out the results of the study!

Another relevant and important (and really sad) project I was involved in was the tracking of the Avian Influenza (AI) outbreak in our bird colonies. An ongoing investigation into the effects of AI is underway. We took a boat out to visit Ortac and look for gaps in the colony which would indicate that an outbreak had occurred.  Luckily, on the way back we were cheered up by a few grey seals waving at us!

This summer has been unforgettable and the amount of knowledge and hands-on experience I have gained has been second to none! The team have been so welcoming and lovely and I am glad to say, Alderney, you’re in safe hands. The work of the Wildlife Trust is so incredible and I will always value my time here.

THANK YOU TEAM AWT!