My Work Experience With TRT
My name is Esmé, and I recently did four days of work experience with Tyne Rivers Trust.
During my placement I was able to experience the many different parts of what Tyne Rivers Trust do. I chose to do my work experience with Tyne Rivers Trust because in the future I want a job which is to do with the environment and nature.
On the first day we went to Gosforth Nature Reserve to identify different species from a sample using digital microscopes as part of SmartRivers. I enjoyed being able to use the microscopes to identify small features on caddis fly (such as gills) which allowed them to be categorised. I also had lots of fun using the digital microscopes as they were very cool and were easy to use as they had a very large, clear image.
On the second day I was taught how to do Story Mapping which is a fun way of presenting data and research. It uses maps, pictures and small amounts of text to portray information. This was fun as it allowed me to use my new knowledge from the day before (about Caddis fly) to create something that I could use to show what I had learnt.
The next day was spent outside taking part in a Balsam bash near Haltwhistle with volunteers. A Balsam bash is where Himalayan Balsam is removed due to it being an invasive species. I enjoyed this a lot as we were outside all day, and because it was very satisfying to remove the Balsam. I also enjoyed this as I learnt lots of information about the plants found on the riverbank.
On the final day we went out to near the river Derwent to survey the number of invasive species there. This was very fun a I got to try to spot the invasive species I already knew and I also got to learn about the ones I didn’t!
Overall, I had a very enjoyable time at the Tyne Rivers Trust as I was able to try lots of different things throughout the week! This experience has shown me that working with the environment is something I very much enjoy and would like to do in the future.
