Share

From blueprints to bluebells

Anna, Matt and Andy B

Say hello to Anna, our newest conservation trainee...

Hi I’m Anna, one of the new conservation trainees here at the Trust. Two months have flown by! It’s been a full on start and I am loving the experience. Despite being new to Worcestershire and the Trust I feel very at home here; with the people, places and work.

I grew up in rural Shropshire and a connection with the natural world was deeply embedded in me. However, aged not-quite-19 I decided to head off to the city to become an architect, chuffed with myself that I had life sorted.

Despite my best efforts, 12 years of living in urban areas took its toll - I was far away from my roots and working in a built environment, which often felt at odds with my values of living simply on this earth and in connection with all the other living beings. So, a couple of years ago I quit; packed up my life and returned 200 miles back to Shropshire. I haven’t regretted any of it for a second.

Volunteers working at Eades Meadow

Volunteers working at Eades Meadow by Anna Tindall

I now find myself spending three days a week developing my practical skills, learning huge amounts about conservation and getting to know a new county. I’m also getting to share the experience with a wonderful collection of people, who share a common desire to make the world around us a better place and to repair some of the damage inflicted by the human race.

I joined the Trust knowing I loved trees (who doesn’t?!) and being in woodlands. This has no doubt developed through spending my time outside of the traineeship carving spoons from green wood (come find me at the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust Christmas craft fair!). But one of my hopes for the traineeship was to get experience working in a wide variety of habitats and learning about species and conservation approaches new to me. Perhaps I will discover a new love and an unexpected direction.

In these first two months I have already been to many reserves with a wide range of habitats, right across the length and breadth of the county. They have included:

  • Inland saltmarshes formed by the naturally occurring salt deposits in the geology, at Upton Warren.  The name of nearby Droitwich Spa now makes a lot more sense! This was my first reserve visit and we enjoyed a peaceful time watching the birds from the hides.
  • Flower-rich meadows at the The Knapp & Papermill nature reserve in the west and ancient meadow Eades Meadow to the east. My introduction to these meadows has been via rake, fork and petrol mower - I’m looking forward to getting to appreciate their full glory next year when the flowers are out and our visits are accompanied by the buzz of insects rather than the roar of mowers.
The Devil's Spittleful nature reserve

The Devil's Spittleful nature reserve by Anna Tindall

  • Heath and scrub at The Devil’s Spittleful - the red sandy soil, rock formation and more sparsely vegetated landscape is quite a contrast to many other reserves. The reserve management is therefore different to other places and I’ve enjoyed learning the why and how.  It’s also fun to hear about the legend of the name, and to see the freshly cut young birch trees being taken off to feed the giraffes and elephants at the nearby safari park.
  • Several beautiful woodlands, practising my chainsawing and brushcutting skills. I love learning more about how these woodlands came to be, how their management strategies and species have evolved over time and what the Trust’s current works consist of and their vision for the future.  
  • The orchard in the south of the county, at Hill Court Farm. Mowing on this site reminded me of how important orchards have been to this area over the decades. Unlike the many commercial orchards in the county, we manage ours for wildlife and so dying trees and fruit falling to the ground is seen as a success! 
  • The pasture at Green Farm is like a blank canvas. It’s great to hear about the Trust’s vision for this new reserve and how they will link it to the adjacent semi-natural ancient woodland of Monkwood.
Broadway gravel pits

Broadway gravel pit by Anna Tindall

  • We spent two days near Broadway in the Cotswolds at the former gravel pits repairing some steps. It is a lovely little reserve filled with willow trees, ponds and boggy patches and lovingly cared for by the local volunteer group.  The surrounding agricultural land that also used to be part of the gravel pits provides a strong visual comparison; when we visited in late October the fields appeared barren, whilst the adjacent reserve was full of vitality and the joy of life.
  • Last but not least the supposed limestone ridgelines that run down through the county, that are actually very heavy clay - I can confirm this thanks to a hard day digging out a cattle trough at Windmill Hill. Apparently there are layers of limestone in there somewhere…we just found cow-infused clag. I was grateful for my wellies and overalls that day!

I suspect we’ll get more acquainted with the various marshes, wetlands and ponds once the weather gets significantly colder and we get the ‘full’ experience. Maybe my next blog won’t be so enthusiastic!

Happy autumn everyone, I hope you are enjoying the wonderful colours that this season brings.

Leaving her previous career as an architect, Anna Tindall joined us as a conservation trainee to gain experience in the sector and to reconnect with the natural world.

Related blog posts