Lecturing and Learning

When I looked back at the end of my time at university, it was volunteering as a research assistant with Operation Wallacea that stood out clearly as the best experience of my life. As I travelled Europe on foot and by bicycle after completing my PhD, the large proportion of time spent outside reminded me of my passion for the natural world. While in Northern Spain, I sent off an application for a Lecturer and Coordinator position with Opwall. Within a few days I was interviewing for the position, and a few weeks later I was beginning my journey to the Cusuco national park in Honduras.

Photo by Adella Wilson

The first week of staff training took me straight back to my time as a research assistant five years prior. But as the students flowed in week by week, my sense of responsibility and my confidence in my role grew exponentially. Any Opwall expedition is a once in a lifetime experience to see creatures in often underexplored and challenging environments. Indeed, this inspired me to apply for the position, and the expedition delivered this more than I could possibly imagine. However, I was perhaps surprised by the immense enjoyment I also derived from my lecturer and coordinator role.

Photo by Madeline Olberg

Ensuring a fulfilling experience for these future researchers and conservationists, and seeing passion for the natural world ignited in them was infinitely rewarding. I truly felt that I was contributing to the protection of an environment that I was becoming increasingly familiar with, and that I felt at home in. I was becoming a better scientist every day. Although I felt slightly lost after completing my PhD, my time with Opwall has revealed to me the path to the career that I want and has equipped me with the skills to traverse it.

Title photo by Alex O’Brien (@whatalexseas)