Hannah Humphreys, a volunteer with us until recently, tells her story of how volunteering with the Trust helped give her a start to her career as an ecologist:

Over summer I was lucky enough to be successful in acquiring a 3-month internship with Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) as an applied ecologist. This placement provided me with a toolkit of skills which I can take forward into my final year studying Environmental Biology and further into a career in ecology.  These skills included the collation of several decades of capercaille data, a solid base of practical experience in the field, liaising with external specialists and across departments, experimental design and scientific report writing. 

I first got involved with the Woodland Trust as a tree health surveyor with Observatree which not only consolidated my identification skills and educated me on tree disease, but through multiple training sessions gave me the confidence to relay this knowledge during my FLS interview. During this time, I also helped at the Royal Highland Show which involved public engagement – a skill which is desired across many sectors!

Furthermore, Volunteering with the Trust was a fantastic opportunity for meeting new people, networking and socialising through gatherings which give the feeling that you are part of a community even if your particular role may involve lone working.

I really would like to thank the Woodland Trust, and all of the staff and fellow volunteers I had the absolute delight of meeting and working alongside during my time volunteering as well. I feel that volunteering for the Woodland Trust was a key factor that led to my success in being selected for my placement and would recommend anyone to do so, whether a budding ecologist or simply a nature lover. 

Hannah Humphreys

Former Woods Under Threat Detector and Tree Health Champion (Observatree) Volunteer