Written by Jack Chapman, Scottish Lowland Placement Student
Upon joining the GWCT, we’d hoped for lots of opportunities to develop fieldwork skills, and we certainly haven’t been disappointed. From setting up pitfall traps, sampling grouse for parasites, and surveying partridges. Fellow placement student Sophie and I have spent most of our days so far out in the field, learning by doing. Partridge counts have been a particular highlight, the birds needing to be surveyed three hours after sunrise and three hours before sunset most days for around a month. It’s been great learning how to sex and age them reliably, though it’s safe to say we’ve enjoyed setting our alarms later as the days have gotten shorter!
Beyond fieldwork, there have been many opportunities to develop data analysis skills. We’ve been pushing the boundaries of our R coding abilities and have also learnt how to use basic features on QGIS, something new to both of us. Though both have frequently brought their own challenges, it’s been invaluable experience, and we certainly feel more confident using them already.
We have also completed our first aid and 4x4 induction training courses. Beyond gaining invaluable knowledge on how to deal with common medical emergencies, the first aid course got us practising our acting skills as one of us pretended to have various ailments whilst the other figured out what to do. The 4x4 training was also great fun, allowing us to push the limit of our truck’s capabilities whilst (thankfully!) keeping it in one piece.
Overall, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the first couple of months of placement. It’s been all about getting stuck in and we’re excited to keep learning and contributing as the seasons roll on.