Talia's Story

Time is flying and we have now passed the halfway point of our traineeship! So far, the schedule has been packed with training, events and promotional work. We’ve been fortunate to spend time within each area of the Trust, meeting so many interesting people and hearing their stories, no two ever the same. 

As our role is based within the Communities and Education team, a big part of our work has been event promotion. Whilst one of the key messages we want to convey is for people to put down their phones and come and enjoy/protect nature, we’ve been learning first-hand the balance of using social media and the increasing role it plays in the conservation sector. Storytelling through photos and video has helped bring our events and the Trust’s work to life. As well as being a powerful promotional tool, platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook can help us reach new and younger audiences, making nature conservation feel more accessible and building understanding across local communities. It’s also been inspiring to work alongside the Trust’s Digital Content Officer, Holly Wilkinson, as she interviews people and captures footage to convey the mission of the Wildlife Trust in a way that words alone often can’t.

We’ve also had the chance to visit so many local green spaces and reserves, some completely new to me, and others I grew up playing in but now see in a whole new light. Learning about their history and getting involved in their management, whether scrub bashing, tree planting or coppicing, has been incredibly rewarding.

Alongside the practical work, I’ve really enjoyed the activities that promote mindfulness. Helping to run wood-whittling and willow-weaving sessions was a lovely reminder to slow down, clear your mind and connect with nature whilst also getting to learn a new skill. However, my favourite day so far has been our visit to the Nene wetlands nature reserve, where we were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the beaver enclosure. Coming from a Zoo Biology background, this was unsurprisingly a highlight! It was amazing to learn about the beavers’ value in habitat management and to see how dramatically they’ve transformed their wetland territory in such a short time since being released in February.

Another standout moment for me was Luton’s Mini Apple Day event, which we helped run in partnership with the Luton Orchards Project. We welcomed over 100 members of the local community to celebrate the variety of apples and orchard areas available to enjoy throughout Luton. It was a day of community, tradition and drinking (arguably too much) fresh-pressed apple juice. 

Alongside these special events, I’ve also enjoyed supporting our more regular activities, such as guided walks around Luton’s parks and green spaces, and our Little Bugs and Wild Ed clubs. These recurring sessions play a huge role in strengthening community relationships and encouraging the next generation of conservationists.

Overall, the first half of the traineeship had reminded me that conservation work isn’t only about protecting wildlife, it’s also about giving people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to connect meaningfully with nature. And how every practical task, event and social media post all comes together to contribute to the much bigger picture.

Aaron's Story

I am officially halfway through my traineeship, and the first three months have flown by, with no two days being the same, except the office days. I have spent much of this time restoring and exploring nature reserves and getting to meet some amazing people. I feel like I fit into the communities and education team quite nicely and I know I will leave changed for the better.

There hasn’t been a dull moment and there are so many highlights. I have become quite the outdoorsman: from wading through rivers, striding up hills, wandering through woods, and even fighting thorns in the scrub. I’ve had so many enthralling animal encounters  spotting sparrowhawks soaring over Strawberry Hill to a rare raven roosting behind a graveyard. There’s been so much, my nature highlights could be its own blog.

It’s hard to pick a favourite green space after seeing so many, but Bradgers Hill definitely holds a special place. It is an underrated site and there’s an amazing view from the top where you see all of Luton and the chalk hills surrounding it. Admiring the view soon turns into a game of “I can see my house from here.” 

Bradgers Hill has become a focal point for anyone involved in conservation locally because it shows the benefits of involving people with nature in mind. Thanks to the efforts of the Trust and Luton Borough Council staff and volunteers, areas of scrub you wouldn’t want to walk through in fear of being pricked have been transformed into chalk grassland (what the site would naturally be) full of wildflowers and butterflies, almost making you want to skip through the meadow! It’s so inspiring to see how people can really make a difference in conservation.

I’ve grown to love Bradgers hill after spending so much time there. It became part my conservation journey when I spent a good chunk of my placement year scrub bashing on the hill as a volunteer, I even put camera traps outside Badger setts there for my dissertation! I would definitely recommend LBC’s conservation sessions every Monday, as it is heartwarming to make a change whilst meeting some interesting people.

Aside from site work, Talia and I have been making videos, and we make quite the team as she provides the voice-over while I do the editing. These videos helped promote our Little Bugs sessions, which is outdoor education for children aged 3–5, and also one for wood whittling, a relaxing craft activity using knives to carve wood. It’s quite a nice feeling to see your creations online and get the approval from our comms. team. I feel rather accomplished, especially as the wood whittling session bookings seemed to increase after the video.

The connections I have made whilst with the Trust have helped me with other opportunities, including the chance to participate in and co-host the new nature show on Inspire FM, a local Luton radio station. Here we talk all things nature from habitats to the COP conference. It’s been amazing interviewing members of the team and meeting new people. The show consists of creating, curating, presenting and hopefully inspiring and encouraging people as we present these stories all about nature. I am happy to continue discussing and contributing, either behind a microphone, on my keyboard or even just casually in conversation as I see communicating these important messages as something I would like to do more in my future career.

Thank you for taking the time to read our trainees’ ongoing insights into their roles with the Wildlife Trust.
Visit our Wilder Luton page to see what’s coming up next!

Until next time,
The Wilder Luton Team