Young
Darwin Scholarship
by Sophie Kitching and Adam McKay
For a week this summer, fourteen young people arrived at
Preston Montford for a crash course about the Shropshire countryside. From all
four corners of the UK, we had an eclectic variety of interests, ranging from
moths and birds to generalists. What we had in common was a natural curiosity
and a shared passion for the natural world, in all its shapes and forms, as
Darwin did.
When we discovered that we’d been offered places on the
scholarship, our squeals of excitement could surely be heard as far away as
Shropshire. We were also all slightly apprehensive, of course: would everyone
else be able to distinguish the 1,850 species of micro moth? Would they know
the difference between a Sciurius
vulgaris and Calluna vulgaris?
Over the week, along with copious quantities of cake, we
consumed a huge variety of knowledge (and a Harvestman!). We hiked across the
beautiful myth-imbued landscape of the Stiperstones, canoed along the rather
muddy River Severn, and sniffed mink poo on a stick – in case you were
wondering, it smells as foul as you’d expect. There was a long list of highlights,
including kingfishers on the river, a surprise encounter with a buzzard, a
little egret and otters caught on the camera trap. It would be ignorant to not
acknowledge the fact that we also saw great crested newts (don’t worry, we
didn’t disturb them). When reflecting on the experience, we think of one
word- AWESOME!
As well as being great fun, we all learnt a huge amount over
the week, over a wide variety of subject areas. We were fascinated to identify
and study springtails in considerable depth, which was a first for many of us.
We also gained an insight into botany, learning how to write floral formulae
while munching on a surprisingly tasty sorrel leaf. Particularly compelling was
learning to distinguish different species of bats from the frequency of their
echolocation. Other mammal spots included bank voles, wood mice and a common
shrew, all of which were caught using Longworth traps, and of which we were
taught to identify the sex.
In essence, it was rewarding, fun, and provided a wealth of
indispensable experience. Meeting and learning from inspiring experts was
something very special, but equally important was the chance to meet and learn
from other enthusiastic and knowledgeable young people our own age.
If you’re interested in ecology, geography, biology,
geology, conservation, zoology or the future-of-our-planet-ology, then you
should definitely apply to come on the Young Darwin Scholarship programme. You
never know, you might be the next Darwin!
