Meet our new Ecology Intern

We are very pleased to welcome Katie Sell as our new Ecology Intern!

For the next year, Katie will be leading our ‘Nature in Harmony’ programme: planning and running weekly biodiversity surveys and monthly citizen science events onsite over the spring and summer, and co-leading our Nature in Harmony Exchange Project youth group which meets monthly year-round.

Katie’s first few weeks in the role tie in with International Day of Women & Girls in Science, held on February 11th each year, so we thought we’d do a post combining the two.

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up, and how did you get from there to where you are now?

Growing up I wanted to be a Vet, having spent a lot of time watching TV shows such as ‘SuperVet’ and ‘Wildlife SOS.’ Through work experience and volunteering, I decided that I was more interested in animal behaviour and working in nature, so I decided to not apply for veterinary science at university but instead apply for Zoology, graduating in 2021. I have spent the last two years travelling, but also gaining experience through internships with the Hawk Conservancy Trust and the Sea Watch Foundation.

Why did you want to join ATU?

Since leaving university I decided that I wanted to focus on conservation efforts in the UK, as I think this can often get overlooked in favour of more exotic locations. I wanted to join ATU in particular because of the community aspect, and accessibility of Harmony woods. The youth exchange project and citizen science days also appealed to me, because I enjoy educating people on what nature has to offer and why we should help protect it

Is there anything you're particularly hoping  to learn / achieve / experience during your internship with us?

During my time at ATU I hope to gain confidence in my identification skills, particularly my wildflower identification, as well as gain confidence leading group sessions. I am also excited to conduct surveys and write this years report, as I haven’t had the chance to conduct research for this long a period of time.

What do you like best about working in science?

There is a lot that I love about working in science, particularly within conservation. The best part would be conducting research. I enjoy trying to find out answers to hypotheses, but also finding out if conservation methods implemented have been effective, and alter them it required to get the best outcome. Working in conservation also means lots of working outdoors, which is a bonus.

Can you tell us a 'hidden gem' about yourself?

One of my hidden gems is that I helped name spotted hyenas in Tanzania. During university, my field course to Malawi was cancelled due to COVID. We instead worked with camera trap footage to identify individual spotted hyenas in the Ruaha region of Tanzania, to help with the Ruaha Carnivore Project. We were allowed to name the individuals, with these names potentially being used to identify the individuals in the future. My group decided to name our hyenas after different cheeses, so there are spotted hyenas in Tanzania named Gouda, Swiss and Brie.

What would you say to any girls or women interested in science, maybe thinking about studying it?

There are lots of ways to get involved, even from a young age. If it’s not something you want to necessarily study or do for a job, there are many opportunities to volunteer and meet like-minded people. For example, bird-watching groups, youth groups, and citizen science events such as bat walks, tree planting and identification workshops. A career in science, in particular ecology and conservation is one of the most fun and rewarding career paths. It can be difficult at times, requiring some perseverance, but everyone's career paths are different, which is one of my favourite aspects of science.