Over the past few weeks, Mona and I have continued to keep ourselves busy with a wide range of coastal and marine conservation work. From muddy saltmarsh surveys to plant nurseries, oyster restoration planning and training courses, each day of the internship has been varied and has shown us just how many different roles and skills are involved in the sector.

At Horseshoe Point, we once again joined bird and invertebrate monitoring, continuing to build our survey skills. We also helped with sea couch monitoring and cutting, which turned into a really fun and rewarding day of practical conservation work (I definitely didn’t fall in a creek). Working alongside colleagues from the Wildlife Trust and collaborating with the National Trust, we managed to turn what was expected to be three days’ work into one.

Another highlight was collecting seeds at Donna Nook and then spending time at Sea View Farm Nursery, sorting and planting them. It was reminder that restoration often starts with small steps and that every step of the way, no matter how small the task may seem, there must be someone there to do it.

We also visited Ørsted in Grimsby to see where oysters will be placed into the water. Seeing the site helped turn the project from an idea on paper into a real location, with all the planning, partnership working and practical considerations that marine restoration involves.

Overall, it has been a busy and varied few weeks, but exactly the kind of busy we signed up for. The internship is giving us a clearer understanding of how monitoring, habitat management, nursery work and collaboration all connect, and it has been a brilliant reminder that meaningful marine conservation is built through shared effort, practical experience and care for the places we are working to protect.

George