100 Hours with Aire Rivers Trust!
Betsy Matten (now proudly BA Hons.) writes about her placement with our Trust.
As part of my final year studying BA Geography with Quantitative Methods at the University of Leeds, I undertook a 100 hour placement with the Aire Rivers Trust (ART). ART immediately stood out to me, as a human geographer looking to gain insight into the world of environmental conservation, so I reached out and asked if I could get involved. From the very beginning, I was introduced to a variety of exciting projects, as well as many members of the team, a group of incredibly passionate and kind individuals.
During my time with ART, I managed to get out on some practical conservation days, working on important tasks with the amazing local volunteers! From scrub clearance to hedge laying, it was eye opening for me to see the work taking place on the ground to protect the Aire and its natural ecosystems.
Meeting the ART volunteers was a real highlight of the placement for me, showing such dedication to their local river and its tributaries. At a time when the topic of nature and the environment can evoke feelings of anxiety, this was a much needed reminder that there are many passionate people working towards a better world!
My key project with ART involved working closely with the Catchment Coordinator, Ruth McBain, who really supported me throughout the placement. This project was focused on Catchment Management Planning. I undertook research around best practice across the UK, and began to compile information which could be used for ART’s updated plan.
A proud achievement for me was the publication of a web page and interactive map I created on the ART website. This page aimed to direct potential new volunteers to the best ways for them to get involved. The map involved the collation of many of the existing local action groups along the Aire, including contact details and a blurb to assist viewers in choosing the most suitable group for them. This webpage can be found here: https://aireriverstrust.org.uk/friends-of-the-river-2/
I thoroughly enjoyed every part of my placement. During a very stressful period of my education, the ART work provided me with engaging and inspiring days to break up the endless library sessions! In addition to this, my portfolio on all of my ART involvement received a high first class mark.
Thank you so much to the brilliant team at ART, for an invaluable 100 hours, I loved it!