Each year we host a few students for work experience. Last week we were joined by Emma, a year 10 student from Emsworth. She has written a blog about her week, read on to find out more…
I have been doing work experience for Chichester Harbour Conservancy for the past week and I have had an amazing time. There has been such a variety of work which goes on here and the people who I have been working with have been so willing to help me get the most out of my experience. I wanted to come to Chichester Harbour because I knew they have such an amazing impact on and off the water around Chichester, and I wanted to see what it would be like to have a hands-on job in the future.
Education in action
On the first day I worked with the teachers and volunteers in Dell Quay and the education centre. I helped out with a year 3 school trip to a local river in Fishbourne. Once there, we were measuring the width, height and flow. The students were engaged and willing to participate in the activities. Sue explained to the children the importance of rivers and why they should be protected. I really enjoyed my time at the Education Centre, and it was a great insight into what teaching involves.
The science behind nature recovery
On the second day I was excited to come to the harbour office to learn about eDNA (environmental DNA). First, we walked out to the salt marshes and Kate informed me of the importance and the different plants and animals which rely on the habitat. In the afternoon, we headed out into the harbour.
Some scientists from Portsmouth University gathered the information by filling up plastic bottles with the sea water, measuring how clear the water is and the temperature of the water. Once we got back on the shore, they pumped the water through a mesh which separates the water and the dirt and DNA. They will take this back to the lab and identify what organisms were present by analysing the DNA collected from the water. It was so interesting to see the approach which people take to find what is living and surviving in the water especially as I may want to go into marine biology.
Surveying seabirds
On day three I was with Pete the ecologist to survey Little Terns and learn more about the breeding birds in Chichester Harbour. I was so overwhelmed to see these rare birds.
Magnificent meadows
On Thursday we went to Fishbourne Meadows to help repair the fences which surround the grounds in order to get the site ready for cattle. It was quite overgrown but with the right equipment we were able to get to the fences and repair any broken bits. The volunteers who work there are so kind and important to keep our harbour in the right condition. We saw so much wildlife such as deer, butterflies and beetles. The meadows are hugely important to our harbour and have a large level of biodiversity.
I have really enjoyed my time here and would recommend the experience to anyone interested in conservation, environmental management or hands-on outdoor work. It has been an unforgettable week and has given me a valuable insight into careers that help protect our local environment.
Thanks to Emma for her excellent blog. We offer term-time work experience opportunities by ballot each year, as well as a few days in the summer holidays, also by ballot.