Throughout my childhood I was always surrounded by nature growing up in New Zealand and took a keen interest in animals from a very young age. I had many opportunities to be up and close with many different types of wildlife in Australia and New Zealand. Some of my key memories include seeing hectors dolphins in Akaroa and visiting the Great Barrier Reef. Being so close to such amazing wildlife made me realise that this is what I wanted to do with my life, to work in conservation to protect wildlife.

After having completed two years of my BSc Wildlife Conservation degree at Nottingham Trent University I began looking for a conservation charity to gain work experience for my placement year. With Coronavirus majorly interrupting my usually hands on practical course, I felt it was really important for me to try and catch up on practical experience I missed. I came across Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre online and applied for a seasonal volunteer role for 23 weeks, in which I was accepted! Working with dolphins and other marine mammals is a complete dream job.  I felt so grateful to have the opportunity to learn about these incredible animals and educate the public on important marine issues.

This being my first experience in volunteering for a conservation charity I was very nervous to start my placement in New Quay. However, I was quickly reassured by Gemma and Laura that I would be supported throughout my time here. Laura (Living Seas Project Officer) and Gemma (Living Seas Assistant) were very welcoming and informative during my induction training and put my mind at ease that I would pick up new skills. Laura and Gemma continued to be supportive throughout my time here, I couldn’t have asked for a better management team.

The key skills I aimed to learn in my time here included becoming better at identifying marine species, learn new skills such as photo ID, land and boat surveying and data entry. I also hoped that I could have the opportunity to do my own project for my final year dissertation. After speaking to Dr Sarah Perry (Living Seas Manager) I was able to begin a project exploring the effect of boat activity on dolphin behaviour and the effectiveness of the code of conduct. I introduced a new survey form for land surveys which all the CBMWC volunteers have helped me collect data for my final year dissertation.

During my time here I developed the skills I wanted to improve and learnt so much more in the process. I learnt so much about Welsh marine life that I never knew and was especially surprised by the diversity of wildlife here. I learnt a lot about the Cardigan Bay big 3 (bottlenose dolphin, Atlantic grey seal and harbour porpoise) and also about the array of seabirds and other coastal and rockpool species. Being involved in boat research trips and land surveys were definitely my favourite part of volunteering for the CBMWC. A day that will forever stand out to me was my first research boat trip on the 5^th May 2022. During the survey, bottlenose dolphin approached the research boat (Anna Lloyd) to bow-ride! They were head slapping, tail slapping and leaping right by the boat. The highlight for me was being able to hear them whistling! It was breathtaking to be so close to them that I could hear them communicating with each other.  Another memorable moment was 16^th June 2022 when I saw my first harbour porpoise. A close second behind boat surveys were conducting land surveys, which I did most days. Observing bottlenose dolphins and Atlantic grey seals so close to the harbour wall was absolutely incredible. Seeing the dolphins socialising, leaping and bow riding was definitely the most fascinating to observe and record.

The images collected from all day boat surveys were used to identify individual dolphins by comparing the new images to images from our catalogue. I learnt how to identify individuals by comparing notches, scars and colouration of their dorsal fins. It was an incredible skill to gain and gave me a lot of satisfaction to be able to make matches! Having the opportunity to contribute to Dr Sarah Perry’s photo ID research was an honour, and going on the research trips gave me very valuable work experience for any future marine work.

The less exciting but just as important skills I learnt during my time was how to use Microsoft Access and QGIS for data entry. Being proficient in using different software is very important for working in conservation, as processing the data is just as important as collecting it. Volunteering for the CBMWC also boosted my confidence in outreach and public education. I had the opportunity to attend events educating the public about the work of CBMWC as well as volunteering in the visitor centre where I engaged with the public daily. Volunteering in the centre allowed me to educate the public on the wildlife found in Cardigan Bay and discus daily sightings from the land surveys.

Aside from the volunteering environment, I met so many wonderful people during my time here. Being around other young people with the same interests and passions as me really made my experience even better. Living and volunteering with 7 other girls was really good fun! I made some close friends that I know I will have with me for life.

In conclusion, working for the CBMWC has been a major highlight in my life. I have learnt so many skills I will carry with me into my future working in conservation.