Hello! #WWTResearch Day 2023 kicks off with our Head of Conservation Evidence Geoff Hilton introducing the team, our work & the importance of collecting & providing #wetland conservation evidence.

Great to make my presentation debut at the #WWTResearch Conservation Evidence Research Day talking about Wetland Treatment Systems WWT 💧 Shout-out to Team WTS Dr. Laura Weldon Lucy Smith Sian Taylor and a huge congratulations to all the WWT Conservation speakers!

Wow! What an amazing day at WWT’s Conservation Evidance Research Day, showcasing the leading evidence-based projects. I gave my first professional presentation on my research on using eDNA to identify Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa limosa) egg predators using eDNA techniques.

Two predated Curlew nests found today sadly. Eggs carefully collected & now in the WWT Conservation lab waiting for our scientists Dr. Laura Weldon & Sian Taylor to work their magic & hopefully identify the culprits. #SAVCurlews

A great day fighting through vegetation and getting lost in fields conducting ditch surveys with WWT! 🪲

Arrived in #Germany 🇩🇪 Getting closer to #IWSG2023

Just arrived at Stylt, Germany for the International Wader Study Group Conference 2023. I can’t wait to learn so much from the huge variety of talks and posters that will be on display. I will also be presenting my own poster on behalf of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust!

Here on Sylt 🇩🇪 we're on the edge of the Wadden Sea, an internationally important wetland of over 4,500 square kilometres of intertidal habitat used by 10 million waterbirds each year, and designated a World Heritage Sites #IWSG2023

Very proud of Sian Taylor, presenting early findings from her intern year WWT to explore predators of ground nesting waders #eDNA #IWSG2023 #WomeninStem working with me Lynda Donaldson Kane Brides Daniel Gornall and others

At #IWSG2023? Check out our poster lead by Sian Taylor on developing DNA methods to identify predators of nesting waders. Team effort with Dr. Laura Weldon, Lynda Donaldson, Alex Nicol-Harper (she/her) & Daniel Gornall with @ProjectGodwit & #SAVCurlews

🖼 Poster sneak peak - "Who ate who?" Sian Taylor WWT Conservation are developing new methods to use DNA to identify predators and better support conservation of nesting waders #IWSG2023

A brilliant new pilot by Sian Taylor! Finding the culprits for the large number of unknowns often present in wader nest and chick predation studies is so valuable for our knowledge, management and policy #ornithology #IWSG2023

The IWSG conference is finished for another year. This has been an great experience. I have learnt so much and met some amazing researchers conducting great conservation studies. I am also really proud as my poster achieved a third place prize in the poster competition! 🥉🏆

Really excited to be back at Plymouth University to complete my undergrad. Today we started our first Madagascan Hissing Cockroach practical! We will be observing the group’s behaviour and use a social network analysis to answer behavioural questions. 🪳🥼👩‍🔬

We are testing our cockroaches cognitive absolute by training them to associate (associative learning) different patterns with a punishment and reward. If they were learning this association then they should choose to go down the path with the pattern associated with a reward.

What a better way to round up my undergraduate degree than with an exciting dissertation poster presentation session. My dissertation aimed to apply an environmental DNA (eDNA) molecular technique to identify nest predators of godwit and curlew eggs. 🪺 🧬🦡

I had a great day out volunteering with the National Trust team at their Bosigran Farm site in Penzance today. We were using bracken boarding technique to clear bracken allowing other species to grow. The best part of the day was seeing the Cornish chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax.

In collaboration with the University of Plymouths Marine Conservation Research Unit, I am conducting marine mammal and seabird surveys along England’s east coast from Plymouth to Gosport for 5 days. This is to survey the Western Channel Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA).

Discover a day in the life of a conservation biologist with me! We set sail along #Englands east coast from #Plymouth to #Gosport conducting #marinemammal and #seabird surveys of the Western Channel Important Marine Mammal Areas for #conservation research. #marinemammals

I am very proud to have graduated from the University of Plymouth with a 1st class hones degree in conservation biology. I am excited to see what the future holds! 🎓 #plymgrad2024