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Meet the ‘Wild Women’ helping nature thrive in Kent

In episode 8 of Talk on the Wild Side, Rob Smith spoke to Bella Sabin-Dawson - Education & Wellbeing Apprentice - about her experiences with eco-anxiety, and to Sam Maddison about his studies of biodiversity as a Wildlife Conservation student at the University of Kent.

This World Wildlife Day we would love to celebrate the incredible wildlife we have in Kent but we know that we're loosing more wildlife and wild spaces every day. So this year we felt it was more important to join forces with others to show what our county might look like without wildlife. Read on to learn more.

Education Manager Tom White tells us about his first experience seeing a beaver in the wild.

Margery Thomas, volunteer at Hothfield Heathlands, gives us an update from the reserve, where the first signs of spring are stirring!

In September 2023, representatives from the Department of Transport, National Highways, Natural England, South East Water, RSPB, and the Lifescape Project joined Kent Wildlife Trust on a discovery trip to the Netherlands to glean insights on how the Dutch have tackled the challenge of providing space for nature in a crowded landscape.

Kent’s landscape is diverse. From the rolling chalk grasslands, humming with insects in the summer, or the quiet reverence of ancient woodlands, to the iconic white cliffs that frame our coastline. These habitats support species of county and national importance, and for those of you that have explored Kent’s countryside, you will no doubt appreciate how special they are.

I’m Bella Sabin-Dawson, Education and Wellbeing Apprentice at Kent Wildlife Trust. For those of you that are interested in apprenticeships, I’m here to tell you all about my role here at KWT and what I get up to on a day-to-day basis.

Last year I was lucky enough to take part in the Neurodiversity Awareness in the Workplace training session by GOV-PD and hosted by the fantastic Matt Gupwell. The course offered a valuable opportunity to explore ways in which our Trust can support the well-being of our neurodivergent staff, focusing on enhancing their working lives.

Despite the cold and mud, there’s still plenty to do out in nature this February half-term. After all, there’s no such thing as bad weather – only the wrong clothes! So, get your cosiest coats and wellies on and join us for some of our half-term family events and activities.

This year’s Children’s Mental Health Week (5th – 11th February 2024) is all about empowering children to say and believe that their voice matters. When children feel listened to, and like they can make a difference in the world, it can have a hugely positive impact on their wellbeing. We all want to feel heard, after all!

We humans have a habit of thinking in terms of opposition: there’s rain or shine, hot or cold, and land or sea – to name but a few. Salt marshes, however, are something in between.