A GAP year at Preston Montford - by Peter Griffiths
Originally I found out about FSC through my head of
Geography at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College, who strongly recommended trying to
get a job at PM for someone having a gap year prior to studying geography or
any environmental science at University (like myself)… so I feel very fortunate
to have been given the opportunity to gain experience in the sector that I
intend to work in after I finish my studies, and even more so to have been
given that opportunity at a field centre as special as PM.
I started working here on September 29th, as a
Supporting Education Assistant, and have gained a range of different skills and
experience having worked in Housekeeping, Maintenance, and primarily in Education.
Running the shop for a big portion of my time here has given
me experience in enterprise, which I would have never expected, as well as
other more environmental and education-based responsibilities I’ve had such as
data collection through met readings, Moth trapping, Butterfly transects etc. I
have also had opportunities to assist teaching groups on and off site, which I
have found very enjoyable and beneficial. Furthermore, at the end of my time
here I feel I have grown as a person in a number of ways and have gained
invaluable experience and knowledge on how to conduct myself in the work place.
For example, I can confidently say that I show a lot more forward thinking
qualities such as not necessarily needing to be asked to do something when it
needs doing and generally being able to be relied upon to get jobs done, and
these are qualities that I hope I can take forward to later life and future
jobs.
As well as gaining experience and knowledge through jobs on
centre, through the responsibilities I’ve been given, and the infectious
enthusiasm from staff at PM my interest in the environment and wildlife around
me has grown vastly. Having lived in the countryside all my life I have grown
to take a lot of it for granted in everyday life, but through working here it
has taught me to appreciate it more and look at things differently. Moreover on
centre I have built my own bird box that I installed within the grounds (please
don’t ever cut down the tree that it’s on!), and a very flimsy looking bird
feeder, which surprisingly enough does seem to do the job! Additionally, a
couple of weeks ago FSC funded me, as well as Staci and Kirsty, to attend a
beginner’s Moth ID course with Dave Grundy, which was a very enjoyable and
informative weekend and such a unique opportunity that I would never have expected
to get during my year here. Furthermore, I find myself at home or on walks in
my spare time stopping and trying to identify things such as moths, or
listening out for birdsongs with a lot more interest than I would have in the
past, and these are certainly not interests I would have developed as much (or
at all!) if I hadn’t got a job at PM, so I really am grateful for this.
Throughout my time working here I have been made to feel
extremely welcome and at home by all staff, and have made many friends in these
nine months. Moreover, as I come to the end of my final week, as well as
feeling excited for my month of Interrailing and starting University in
September, I also do feel sad to be leaving my job here, which is most
definitely not something I’ve felt when finishing at any previous jobs that I’ve
had!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to each and every one
of the staff at PM for making my time working here so enjoyable, I couldn’t
have asked for a better year of work experience!
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