October | 2014 | The Carrs Wetland Project

Rachael Hatt is the latest volunteer to take part in the work of the Carrs Wetland project. As a recent graduate from Hull University, Scarborough campus with a BSc in Environmental science, she decided to pursue her interests in habitat restoration and biodiversity enhancement.

During her placement, she will be mainly involved with developing the communications side of the project and lending a hand to existing volunteer projects in the Scarborough district through the Scarborough conservation volunteers. Rachael gives a brief biography of her interests:

‘I remember from a young age, being excited to go on seasonal visits to see the grey seal colonies at Donna Nook Nature Reserve in the rural county of Lincolnshire, where I grew up – What a great spectacle! I am a keen nature enthusiast and the vast and open landscapes of Lincolnshire instilled in me a love for the outdoors, and a sense of urgency to protect local habitats and wildlife. My interests in the natural environment were fuelled further during Geography lessons whilst at school, taking a close interest in topics involving physical geography. University has allowed me to develop more specialist skills such as the use of GIS, and environmental and ecological surveying work; I love the chance to don a woolly hat and pair of wellies. Furthermore, being in North Yorkshire for the entirety of my degree programme has given me a fondness for the county, particularly its natural assets, so I was delighted to have the opportunity to volunteer for Carrs wetland.’

Rachael also assumes other various voluntary roles. She is presently a volunteer warden for the North York Moors National Park. She spent the majority of her summer during 2014 on the tiny Scottish Island of Eigg, acting as a shadow warden for the Scottish Wildlife trust. Ultimately, she’d like to work towards becoming a wildlife conservation officer.