Working in the Dyfi Biosphere
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Dyfi Biosphere Education Group Spring 2011 Working in the Dyfi Biosphere What’s the vision? A few years ago, a group of people who live in the Dyfi Valley came together and said “We have a vision for this place.” What was their vision? “We want people to know and respect this special place. In this booklet They will protect its beauty and wildlife and care for its people, his- tory and language. People will try to live without damaging the CAT ........................................... 2 planet. They will be able to work in local businesses and provide CCW .......................................... 4 goods and services for the people who live here. We will call this Dyfi Woodlands ......................... 6 special place, ‘The Dyfi Biosphere’” FACE .......................................... 12 Machinations…………………………...14 How do people try to achieve this vision? Montgomery Wildlife Trust ........ 16 RSPB .......................................... 18 We can do many things in the Dyfi Biosphere to live more Template…………………………………..20 sustainably. We can manage the land to make sure that we grow food effi- ciently, look after our wildlife and reduce carbon emissions. Consider : We can develop our renewable energy resources. Why did these people choose We can make sure our buildings are energy efficient. these careers? What are the attitudes and We can create sustainable transport systems. values which are important to We can develop local sustainable businesses. them? What skills do they need to do their jobs? What do they enjoy about their ‘world of work’? Julie Bromilow Education Officer All the experience I have had meeting different people and working in different places helps me begin to understand the way the world works. I love sharing my ideas about sustainable living with other people.. I know it’s the right thing for me to do now. Why did you decide to work as an education What is CAT? officer? The Centre for Alterna- I’m passionate about our planet and the people and wildlife that tive Technology (CAT) is live on it. I don’t think people deliberately try and destroy it, but an organisation which we are. I used to be a primary school teacher . Our pupils wanted helps people to find out to find out about how to be environmentally friendly, but as teach- how to live sustainably. ers we didn’t know how to teach them these skills. I wanted a job Visitors come here to see where I could help people find out how to live sustainably. eco buildings and water I also like to follow my instinct. I didn’t plan to have this job, but it systems. They can learn feels like the right thing to do for now. about renewable energy What qualifications or experience helped and organic growing . you when you applied for this job? I am a qualified teacher but my experiences working in over forty We also do research so jobs in factories, bars and shops, and farms, in the UK and overseas that we can try and work out what we need to do have also been useful. One of my favourite jobs was working on a to live without using fos- farm. In the summer we had to pick wild oats out of the wheat sil fuels at all. People crops so they wouldn’t make the wheat taste bitter. need this research to Volunteering was one of the best ways to get experience. I’ve help them make plans for worked on organic farms in Poland and Portugal, and in a school in the future. Ghana. I helped build a sustainable house out of mud in Thailand 2 and used my English language skills with Greenpeace in Japan. .I became a volunteer at CAT to find out more about sustainability. Then I could be an environmental educator. A typical day Every day is different. Most days I work at CAT,. Sometimes I have to travel so that I can discuss sustain- able education at meetings and conference or in schools. I always travel by train so I often have to get up very early and cycle to the station in the dark. At CAT. I give talks and run workshops for pupils, stu- My place of work: Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth dents, teachers and groups of adults. They like to see What do you like best about your job? examples of sustainable buildings. Sometimes they I like it when the people I teach are excited about the future. want to understand the technology better. some- And I love to have a job where I am always learning new things times they want to try and skills. I like the people I work with. They are all very positive things out themselves. My and enthusiastic and caring. I love working in a place where favourite workshops are there are lovely gardens and beautiful views. about the way we use the land and produce food. What are your hopes for the future of the Dyfi Biosphere ? At the moment I’m working on a website project for I would like the Dyfi Biosphere to be a place where there are schools called Footprint enough interesting sustainable jobs for everyone that lives there. Futures. I had to think I would like it to be so easy to be sustainable that people don’t about works well on a web- have to think about it. site. This summer I will be writing teaching materials Do you live sustainably? for a nature reserve. I’ve had to find out about wild- I don’t fly, and I don’t drive. I like to travel overseas, but I go by bus life in the sand dunes. or train. I walk and cycle as much as possible. My boyfriend is a fire- There are six people in the man though, and he always has to be near his car when he’s on call. education department. We So I am in a car more often than I’d like to be! I live in a very small work together and share place which doesn’t need much energy to heat. I have a wood stove ideas. I talk to the engineers and burn local wood. I grow fruit and vegetables and create wildlife and gardeners and builders habitats in my garden. I only eat a small amount of meat from the and scientists to find out what they know. It’s great local butchers and I try not to eat too much dairy produce. Most of being part of a team. the time I eat fresh, local, home cooked food. 3 Mike Bailey Senior Reserve Manager, Dyfi National Nature Reserve "I’m proud that we’ve managed to protect the wildlife and share this beautiful place with visitors.” Why did you decide to work as a reserve What is CCW? manaer? Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) is the govern- I wanted to work for an organisation like the Countryside Council ment body for nature con- for Wales because of my strong interest in wildlife, earth sci- servation and countryside ences and practical aspects of nature conservation matters in Wales. CCW’s main functions are: the con- servation and enhancement of the natural beauty and amenity of the countryside; the promotion of enjoy- ment of the countryside, including opportunities for What qualifications or experience helped open-air recreation and the you when you applied for this job? study of nature; and the provision of independent of advice to WAG based on strong scientific evidence. I worked as a volunteer and seasonal ranger in the Peak District National Park after completing a degree in Geology. I went on to work as a Countryside Ranger in Cheshire for 8 years and studied for PGDip in Countryside Management and M.Sc. in Ecology. This gave me the knowledge and experience to gain a Warden post (now called Senior Reserve Manager) with NCC (now CCW). 4 A typical day 9.00 I like to meet my local team members in the morning so that we can discuss our work. We talk about the wildlife we’ve seen at our reserves at Ynyslas and at Cors fochno and how we can look after our visitors. 10.30 I try to spend some time with the students who ar here on work experience placements— even if it’s only for a cup of My place of work: Dyfi Nature Reserve, Ynyshir coffee. What do you like best about your job? 11.00 It’s wonderful to be able to enjoy nature and see others enjoy it I spend some time in the office too. I feel proud that we’ve been able to improve the fortunes every day. I’m often asked to give presentations and write of some of our important wildlife species. reports. I try to spend some time reading the records pre- What are your hopes for the future of the pared by other scientists . Dyfi Biosphere ? 13.00 I hope that the Dyfi Biosphere will become a model area for caring for our planet, where all landowners and residents work together to I spend some time dealing restore the biodiversity of the area. We will have to think of ways we with the public. I’m currently can respond to climate change. trying to think of ways that disabled visitors can enjoy our reserve. Health and safety is very important so we often Do you live sustainably? need to check the wooden I grow my own vegetables, have planted a small copse on my land handrails and decking. and heat my house from sustainable timber supplies. I’d like to 15.00 reduce my dependence on my car but since I live over 2 miles away from the nearest bus stop/ train station it’s very difficult.