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Springing into conservation

Celandine flowers. Photo by Derren Ball.

As his year as a conservation trainee draws to a close, Derren discusses his highlights and learnings...
Daffodils on a roadside

Daffodils by Derren Ball.

My first seasonal snippet when I started as a trainee was on the delights of wild garlic and as the leaves are now peeking through, it must mean my year as trainee is coming to an end. Signs of spring are all around; I’m lucky enough to live on the Gloucestershire/ Worcestershire/ Herefordshire border in the area known as the Golden Triangle and the woods, fields and even motorway verges are filling up with the lovely delicate yellow of the wild daffodil. We are also seeing the other yellow heralds of spring – lesser celandine, winter aconite and cowslips. Another sure sign of spring for me is helping with my local toad crossing patrol. Toads are very particular about where they breed and migrate back to ancestral ponds, regardless of what is in the way, so a hardy group turn out at dusk to help them cross the busy roads, particularly around rush hour. 

Repairing the bridge at Hunthouse Wood

Repairing the bridge at Hunthouse Wood. Photo by Andy Bucklitch.

Since my last blog, our adventures through the winter months have been pretty varied. On some crisp sunny winter days, we had the pleasure of lots of tree planting at Green Farm. However, the last few months has seen some heavy rainfall too; we replaced a bridge at Hunthouse Wood after the previous one was effectively swept away – a challenging task given that the steep terrain in the wood makes it tough to get the materials for the bridge to site in the first place. Storm damage also led to a lot of fallen tree clearance. As Josie’s recent blog explained, a large amount of our recent time has been accompanied by the drone of chainsaws as we undertook out felling training and assessment.

One of the more prosaic tasks recently has been thoroughly cleaning the waders – we’ve used them at a number of our watery sites recently, including Upton Warren and the ponds at Tiddesley and Monkwood. After each activity it is important that waders are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, to prevent the inadvertent transmission of fungal diseases, which particularly affect amphibians and non-native invasive species such as Himalayan balsam, New Zealand pigmyweed (crassula) and signal crayfish.  One often-overlooked aspect of biosecurity when it comes to freshwater habitats is the flea treatments applied to dogs. These can have a direct effect on wildlife, so it is best to try to keep dogs out of ponds and freshwater where possible, particularly when recently treated with pest treatments.

One of my favourite recent activities was leading a local volunteer group at Tiddesley Woods. The reserve officer for Tiddesley was taking a well-earned holiday, so I got to cover for him leading a coppicing task, making use of the leadership skills I’ve learnt over the course of the traineeship. We had a very enjoyable and fruitful session! What made it particularly rewarding was that we had been tasked with harvesting a number of poles to be used by the education team and Lower Smite Farm volunteers to build a “bender” - a traditional shelter made using flexible withies or rods, often of hazel. This is being built in the education woodland at Lower Smite Farm and will be used in sessions with local schools to inspire the next generation of wildlife champions.

Bender at Lower Smite Farm

Bender at Lower Smite Farm. Photo by Derren Ball.

As the days grow sunnier and spring is in full bloom, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on my next steps after the traineeship.  In the immediate future I will be moving to territories new, as I cross the midlands to move to Northamptonshire. This will mean getting to know a whole new area and a new Wildlife Trust that, rather excitingly, covers three counties (BCN – Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire)- this means a lot of new reserves and habitats to explore. The traineeship has left me well-prepared for my next chapter in the world of conservation. With numerous qualifications and experiences under my belt, I’m ready for when the right job opportunity arrives.

Some highlights from the past year have included learning all about mowing and hay-cutting on the meadow reserves in the summer and the time spent coppicing in the woodlands in the winter. I’ve had great times on my tasks with the dedicated and hard-working volunteers at the Trust. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Andy Bucklitch for imparting his extensive knowledge and sharing encouragement over the past year. I’m also grateful to the reserves officers (for trusting us on their valuable reserves) and all of the staff at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust for creating such a great, supportive family environment. I’d finally like to wish the next batch of trainees all the best and bid a fond farewell to Jess, Jack and Josie – good luck on your next steps in conservation - fair to say I’m going to miss you guys!

After spending 25 years working in IT, Derren wanted to return to his original passion of conservation. He hopes that the traineeship will aid his pivot in career.

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