Great time learning with the Fisheries research group, by Alice Jones, Ecology and Wildlife Conservation at Bournemouth University (Dorset, UK)
I had a great time volunteering with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, assisting with the smolt run trap and learning from the Fisheries research group. The team there are friendly, welcoming, and interesting to talk to and gain knowledge from. On slower days, it helped that the sun was shining, and the location is truly beautiful! The volunteer’s job is to maintain and check the trap every half an hour for salmon and trout on their journey out to sea. A scale sample, length and weight measurement are taken for each smolt. For all trout and some salmon, an ID tag is inserted near the dorsal fin, so the team know if those individuals return. It’s great to see conservation in action and to get invaluable experience; I would recommend this placement to everyone!
Vital research work to understanding aquatic ecosystems, by Arran Smith, MSc Biodiversity and Conservation student at Bournemouth University (Dorset, UK)
I have had a brilliant time working with the Fisheries research team at the River Lab in Dorset. With the flexibility of the shifts, I’ve been able to do different parts of the overall work that they do here. The work they do is vital to understanding our aquatic ecosystems and it is a pleasure to work with them. The night shifts are very fun and allow us to observe fish numbers at night which is extremely important. The day shifts are also fun, and I have learnt a lot about the work they do here and find it very intriguing. I hopefully look forward to coming back and doing this process over several years.
Tracking the numbers of young salmon and trout, by Ahtesham Younis, Environmental Science student at Bournemouth University (Dorset, UK)
I had a great experience volunteering for the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, working along the Fisheries research group. I have done two training placements with them; In August to September 2024, we would go into the river to collect fish for data collection. We would catch the fish via electro fishing. Then we would measure their weight, length, get a scale sample and tag them. Then we would release them. However, in spring 2025 (my second placement), we had a trap set up where the smolt would be caught. We would then do the same data collecting methods and release the fish. I believe that this is great work that collects a lot of useful data, as it helps to track the numbers of young salmon and trout in the River Frome, which is very important for freshwater biodiversity and habitat health.