A LOCAL community engagement project has successfully completed its first year at Bog Meadows Nature Reserve and St James' Community Farm
The Our People, Our Places Project funded by The National Lottery Community Fund has delivered a fantastic range of volunteering activities, community events and education programmes based around nature conservation, farming and gardening. However, a major part of the project has been the one-year part-time traineeships delivered by both organisations.
Here Aoife de Bhál tells us about her year working with Ulster Wildlife at Bog Meadows Nature Reserve.
“In March 2021 I was lucky enough to become the first Nature Reserve Assistant to participate in the Our People Our Places project based in Bog Meadows. I have always had a keen interest in the natural world and so it was a joy for me to spend the majority of my days working outside.
"One of the main areas of work was habitat management. This included a range of activities such as cutting grass for the wildflower meadows, removing scrub, opening up ditches that had become overgrown, and the removal of invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam. While it was hard work, it was very satisfying and I learnt a lot on the job. I was grateful to be able to work with a highly motivated and knowledgeable team of staff and also volunteers from the local community – they never failed to put a smile on my face after a long day of pulling weeds from streams.
"During the summer, I undertook a range of biological monitoring tasks such as mapping invasive species, botanical monitoring, butterfly and moth surveying and hedgehog surveying using footprint tunnels. This gave me an invaluable insight into some of the amazing biodiversity in Bog Meadows and Ulster Wildlife’s other nature reserves, as well as allowing me to develop skills in surveying, mapping and analysing data.
As a Gaeilgeoir, I particularly enjoyed taking the local Irish language primary schools out to hunt for bugs and delivering events for Féile an Phobail. It was an honour to get to work with such a friendly, outgoing community and I have made many connections which I hope will only continue to grow and strengthen in the future.
"Thanks to Bog Meadows location in the heart of the city, I had the opportunity to help deliver a range of events including environmental education sessions for local schools as well as guided walks, species identification sessions, foraging courses and crafting sessions for local community groups. As a Gaeilgeoir, I particularly enjoyed taking the local Irish language primary schools out to hunt for bugs and delivering events for Féile an Phobail. It was an honour to get to work with such a friendly, outgoing community and I have made many connections which I hope will only continue to grow and strengthen in the future.
She added: "A big part of the traineeship of course, is the training. I participated in a number of species identification workshops such as identifying bees and wildflowers, as well as more hands-on training such as strained-wire fencing, correct use of tools and machinery, emergency first aid, volunteer management and a Teaching and Training course. This was one of the most satisfying parts of the whole traineeship, as I could use the skills and techniques I had learned on the job and see real progress in my skills week to week.
Aoife said her traineeship has now sadly come to an end.
"Thanks to all the skills I have developed and the experience I have gained from working with Ulster Wildlife this last year, I have been successful in getting a job with another environmental charity – something I would never have dreamed would be possible before starting the traineeship. I would highly recommend the Our People Our Places traineeship to anyone interested in nature, wildlife conservation and most importantly, anyone up for the challenge and the craic of working outdoors.”
While Aoife was busy getting her hands dirty on the nature reserve, Sinead O’Callaghan was also rolling up her sleeves to get stuck into work on the farm. Here Sinead tells us all about her year with St James' Community Farm.
“In March 2021, I started my position of Farm Assistant at St James's Community Farm. It was a part-time paid traineeship. The perk of this job was that I was given a budget at the start of the year that could be put towards any courses I found that were relevant to the job. Over the course of the year I completed many different courses that covered many different aspects of my job, including pig rearing and growing my own vegetables in a polytunnel, as well as a small holding course that covers all aspects of running a small farm.
Sinead with some of the volunteers at St. James' Farm
"Working part-time on the farm also allowed me time to complete my Masters degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare from Queen's University, Belfast, and to complete my three-month placement on the farm. During this time, I wrote all the animal handbooks (books detailing how to care for the specific species of animals on the farm), as well as information packs for visiting groups and the farm protocols. I also created a series of videos that teach our volunteers about animal welfare on the farm. I graduated with a Masters with Distinction in large part due to being allowed to complete my placement on the farm.
"Moving from Dublin to Belfast just before the Covid pandemic made it quite difficult to meet new people but working on St James's Farm opened up the possibilities of meeting new people and making many new friends.
"Moving from Dublin to Belfast just before the Covid pandemic made it quite difficult to meet new people but working on St James's Farm opened up the possibilities of meeting new people and making many new friends. The farm is not your average workplace, it truly is a community of people who all want the best for each other and the animals. It has also helped my communication skills as I was the admin officer of the email account – booking in groups from schools and community projects for private visits to the farm.
"During the course of the year the farm held a few major events for the local community. The two main events were our Ghost and Pumpkin Patch Trail at Halloween and our Winter Wonderland at Christmas. Many of the decorations on the farm were hand made for these events, so by working on the farm I also gained new DIY skills. I can now use many power tools without a second thought and if I want to make something for the animals – for example new nest boxes for the chickens, I can go out and make them myself!
"Experience of working hands-on with animals is vital for many animal-based job roles but getting this experience can often be difficult. My position on the farm has given me plenty of experience with farm animal husbandry – caring for the animals – and this proved really useful in helping me secure a new job working with animals.
"Overall my year on St James’s Community Farm has been an amazing, positive experience which will always stand by me for the future. Though I am moving on in my career, I will continue to volunteer here."
Thanks to the traineeships, both Aoife and Sinead have successfully moved on to full-time jobs in their chosen career paths. This means the traineeships are opening up again, so if you are interested in either of these roles, keep an eye on the social media channels of Bog Meadows Nature Reserve – Ulster Wildlife, and St James Community Farm.
