Now that the osprey season is drawing to a close, a new team of volunteers is taking over the bothy for the next three months! Our role as assistant rangers will cover a wide range of work across all five of the SWT Perthshire reserves. This work will include species surveys, invasive plant removal and occasional beaver-watching! Here are the team to introduce themselves:

 

 

Rosie

After spending the last five years obtaining my BSc in Zoology and MSc in Ecology and Environmental Sustainability, I was extremely excited at the prospect of putting all that conservation theory into practice at a Scottish reserve. Previously I did a three month internship at our sister centre at the Montrose Basin, where I helped with the day to day running of the centre, greeting visitors and updating social media. A chance to see the inner working of another reserve, and to become familiar with the amazing wildlife on and around the lochs was too good an opportunity to miss. Just last week I saw my first ever sighting of a European Beaver at one of our Beaver Watch events. I’m very grateful to be a part of the work that the SWT does, and am excited to learn more over the next three months I’ll be spending in this beautiful place!

 

Joanna

Since graduating in Zoology from Glasgow University last year I have been constantly looking to get experience working in conservation. Before coming here to Loch of the Lowes, I regularly volunteered with the RSPB in Lochwinnoch and really enjoyed my time there. I am now very excited to be working with the SWT in this beautiful part of the country with so many unique and enigmatic species! In just my first few days here I had already seen beavers, deer, loads of red squirrels and plenty of birds – including the magnificent ospreys of course! I’m really looking forward to working with the rest of the team over the next three months, doing lots of important work and learning lots of new skills!

Kate

I’m graduating this summer from Lancaster University where I’ve been studying Ecology and Conservation. I have previously volunteered with the Wildlife Trusts taking part in work parties and survey work in Kent, Cumbria and on the Isle of Eigg and am keen to gain more experience in the conservation sector. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to work as an assistant ranger here at Loch of the Lowes and am really excited to spend the next three months in this beautiful setting, exploring Perthshire and contributing to the important conservation work that goes on here.

 

Jane

Since graduating from my BSc in Zoology I have been doing a lot of voluntary work to get more experience in conservation – most recently as a member of the osprey watch team at Lowes! I had such a great time that I decided to stay on for the summer ranger work. I’m really looking forward to getting involved with the practical conservation work on the reserves and improving my species ID skills. So far we’ve done some bracken bashing and invasive plant removal – hard work but very satisfying! There is so much to see on the other reserves, I’m sure the next few weeks will fly by. I’ll still be keeping a close watch on the ospreys and am very happy to be staying to see the chicks fledge!

 

– Assistant Ranger Team