by Aiden Henri

This is the sentence that sums up my stay with Nature’s Valley Trust, what a soul-soothing experience that I will cherish forever.

My motivation for volunteering for the Trust was that I felt I was not getting much hands-on field experience in the environmental field since my Master’s graduation in 2014. My experience in the environmental sector has taken the shape of an administration role. Although this is an important hard skill to have I started getting frustrated, feeling that I’m not on the frontier getting my hands dirty in the name of science and making a difference. Volunteering with NVT has helped satisfy that thirst to be in the outdoors and be more physically involved with conservation.

I was fortunate enough to be involved with all the programmes the trust is currently running; from early morning bird ringing and marine debris surveys to late afternoon flower walks and bird observations. It was worth every second. I have come to learn in life that attitude is everything and if you go into things with your head up, eyes steady and heart open your expectations will be met if not exceeded. The team and NVT are a close-knit family and have a positive vibrant attitude towards everything they do. You just can’t help but fall in love with everything the Trust represents.

I highly recommend the experience to anyone out there who has an appetite for the outdoors regardless of your background or what you do for a living. Any skill you bring to the table is of value to this NPO which punches well above its weight class in the scientific research arena. If it is just a positive attitude you bring, that is more than enough to make a difference!

Thank you Nature’s Valley Trust

Sincerely,

Aidan Henri