I Promise You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me!

Hi, Tall Sarah* here..... and I have some news

(*aka Assistant Warden aka The Tractor Queen aka The Unit aka Purdo)

I have got a new job: Mid Wales Red Squirrel Officer. I will be working to protect red squirrels in mid Wales (a role still within WTSWW :) ). I’ll miss the island of course, but I’m really excited for this new position. No doubt the majority of my time off from the new job will be taken to come visit the island. I’m still trying to decide if I sign myself up as a weekly volunteer or not!

My time as assistant warden has been incredible. Since 2017 I’ve called Skomer home, and what a privilege that has been. I have met so many lovely people, multiple friends for life and a fair few inspirations. I am grateful to every single one of you who has volunteered with me over the past few years. Thank you for putting up with my weirdness and all the bird impressions that I take juuuuuust a little bit too far…

Describing the difference between Guillemots and Razorbils in a welcome talk this year

I first came to Skomer Island as a fresh faced youngster, just 4 days after my last exam of university. The contrast of changing from months of revision, stuck indoors through a beautiful spring, to being out on the ocean waves, counting seabirds with the island team was incredible. I believe it was during an introductory meeting with other volunteers on that week that I said (in response to others mentioning their career goals) “I think I’d like Jason’s [assistant warden] job really..!”

Jason, Ed and myself, having completed the first round of seabird counts in 2014.

After my initial visit in 2014, (which was originally only supposed to be a week long, but I extended to 10 days - a common theme with my time on the island), I returned in 2015 as a long term volunteer. I loved my time living in “the hut” and it was within the first week that I gained the nickname “the tractor queen”. I once again extended my time on the island, due to be on April till mid-July, I was actually on from the end of March until early August.

In 2016 I visited multiple times, making sure to get a few visits in June to get my fix of seabird counts. Then in 2017 I returned, for my first full season. I always knew I wanted to do three seasons, and beyond that I didn’t know.

I’ll be on the island for the next week or so, but commitments in the new post mean I’ll be moving off the island just before the end of this season. I will still be assigning the spaces for weekly volunteers in 2020 though, so all those who send in an application to skomer.volunteer@welshwildlife.org by the end of September can still expect an email from me by the end of October.

 

my favorite place on the island.

This island, the time I’ve spent here, and the people I’ve met here will always be very close to my heart. I will never forget this place, and rest assured- I will be coming back to visit ALL THE TIME!

If you’d like to keep in touch, I’ll still be on the Skomer Assistant email and phone for another week or so, and after that you can find me on s.purdon@welshwildlife.org, or roaming about in the forests of mid-Wales!

Lots of Love

Tall Sarah

Assistant Warden 2019, 2018, 2017, LTV 2015, friend of the island forever.