Welcome the Peatland Progress Trainees

The Peatland Progress Traineeship programme has begun! Meet our three brilliant new team members, Ellen, Katie and Kaitlyn.

In October, we were delighted to welcome three new team members. Ellen, Katie and Kaitlyn have all joined us as part of the new Peatland Progress Communities and Education Traineeships. Originally, we were only looking for two highly motivated people with a desire to learn about conservation and the natural heritage of the Great Fen. However, applications were so strong, we had to add another place!

They have a busy six months ahead as part of Peatland Progress. They will work closely with the Communities and Education Team, based at the Ramsey Heights nature reserve. They will also work with the wider Trust to help deliver key outcomes of the project. There will be opportunities to develop skills in a number of conservation-related disciplines including practical conservation, community engagement, education, marketing and communications.

Meet the team...

Ellen Standing by a table and display board with posters

Ellen Blackmore

Hi everyone! I’m Ellen, and I’m thrilled to be joining The Wildlife Trust BCN as one of the new Peatland Progress Trainees for the next 6 months!

I have always had an appreciation of nature, which led me to study Environmental Science at the University of Nottingham. After completing my degree, I was lucky enough to spend two weeks volunteering as a Research Assistant with Operation Wallacea in Croatia, and one week learning about and assisting with the huge rewilding project taking place at the Knepp Estate, UK.

Since graduating, I have spent much of my time working with children and young people with special needs. However, after recently relocating from London to Cambridge I was eager to dip my toes back into the conservation field, and excited to discover more about the important projects taking place at the Trust, particularly at the Great Fen. As a trainee, I’m looking forward to working with and learning from a range of teams across the Trust, developing my skills and inspiring other young people to get involved in nature, while contributing to the protection and restoration of local wildlife.

Katie Bolton

My name is Katie and I’m one of the new trio of trainees at the Great Fen. I graduated from studying Zoology at the University of Sussex in 2024 and have worked in reserve management for the past year. When I saw the opportunity to work at a nature reserve I visited when I was in primary school, it sounded too good to be true! I’ve always been interested in working more with young people and children, as they are key for inspiring a more wildlife-friendly future for all of us.

Kaitlyn wears a white lab coat and goggles giving a thumbs up

Kaitlyn Goodwin

Hi everyone! My name is Kaitlyn, and last year I left University with a Zoology degree and got straight into volunteering and job hunting. I have been volunteering with the Communities and Education team at Ramsey Heights for almost a year now and ended up completing 6-week internships at the start of the year. Since then, I’ve stuck around to assist with different tasks and events and even started to volunteer with the monitoring team at the Great Fen completing various surveys. I’m excited to begin this new traineeships and to work more on the Peatland Progress project as I find it so interesting! I find everything to do with conservation exciting and interesting, so to be able to visit other departments and learn new skills and knowledge is an amazing opportunity. I can't wait to get stuck in.

Large group of staff sat around tables for meeting, taking selfie

Alison Chaves, Communities and Education Manager at the Great Fen said, “We were so impressed with all the candidates who applied for this programme, but we are especially pleased that these three young people have agreed to join us this year. They are all keen to learn, willing to dive into practical tasks, great with our visitors, and already bringing their own unique skills to the team.

“Being able to offer a paid placement, particularly at the National Living Wage, is so important. Young people are leaving education or work placements eager to start making a real difference in the conservation sector and for our planet, but are so often asked to gain even more volunteer experience. This can be difficult for them for all sorts of reasons. We are very grateful for the generous support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, via our Peatland Progress project, which has enabled this opportunity.”