In terms of the events I’ve been along to this month, I have been along to one Virtual Reality event at Falkirk’s Producers Market, a Pop-up Wildlife Gardening Workshop at Falkirk Grahamston Train Station, a Pond Doctor at The Delph Pond in Tullibody, a Species Survey and Ecology Course with the practical part at Drumbowie. We had a lot of interest and many people along to each of these events. I found it really useful going along to these sessions and enjoyed engaging with the members of the public. This also now means that I have been along to each type of Come Forth for Wildlife event! This month I also managed to do my First Aid course and I’m now a qualified First Aider!
This month I also covered one of Louise’s sessions in Glasgow at Woodside Community Garden. I had already been and shadowed her last month at a few of these sessions so knew what I had to do! I organised several activities for the children there, such as amphibian pebble painting, a leaf hunt, a minibeast scavenger hunt and a garden colour chart finder. We also made some artwork with grass, flowers, twigs, some cardboard frames with tape (see photos below!).
The Come Forth for Wildlife Mapestry was on tour at Stirling Central Library for April – we had to hang four of them on the windows! Next month it is at Larbet Library, make sure to go and check it out and see if you can find all twelve. If you don’t live local and want to see it, you can see it online at https://bit.ly/3I9lSTd!
I’ve also been along to a few volunteer sessions, one at Swans Pond in Fife which I ran where we did some litter picking, some cutting back of vegetation from the path and collecting wood for future hibernacula. Another volunteer session I went to was at The Helix in the Easter holidays where we did some hibernacula creation and pond dipping. At Bannockburn High School Rosie and I did another volunteer session where we created a small dead hedge, did some litter picking and I even had the chance to use a strimmer to strim the basking banks!
This month I also had the chance to deliver some school sessions for Fife Living Waters! I really enjoyed this and went through our native amphibians and reptiles, frog and toad lifecycles and even got to do some craft activities!
Also, at the end of this month I went along to Froglife Ecological Service’s Great Crested Newt (GCN)Training Course at Muiravonside Country Park, where I learnt all about the various surveying techniques. We didn’t manage to spot any GCNs but saw several Palmate Newts and a couple of Smooth Newts.
Finally, I have now had my discussion with James about my Public Engagement module and have decided to take on the volunteer sessions. As this is quite a big job, I will be organising and running half of them, and Rosie will be running the other half. I can’t wait to get stuck in! Also, as I am only running half of them, I will be running a few events on our Fife Living Water project such as Virtual Reality and crafts events! Make sure to check out the website!