I joined SAMARCH on the 29th March and spent the rest of that week assisting with the annual smolt run. I have always been passionate about the environment and since starting my studies at Bournemouth University I feel as if those passions have only grown stronger. I decided to organise my placement with SAMARCH as I wanted to try and see how my current passions surrounding wildlife and its protection could lead to a potential future career pathway, and that’s exactly what I got out of this placement.

On my shifts I would help catch both salmon and trout and then process these fish by collecting valuable data before releasing them back into the River Frome. Working in this scientific environment helped to ground my perspective on research-based career pathways. As I continue my studies with Bournemouth University and later graduate from my ecology and wildlife conservation course, I will use my time with SAMARCH to help guide me into this field of work.

To summarise my placement, I believe it was a great opportunity to work with SAMARCH and would highly recommend it.