Let’s face it, entering the environmental sector is not easy and can be very overwhelming if you don’t have the right support. Living in an urban area can make matters harder when seeking opportunities, especially for those who, like me, come from a low-socioeconomic background. If there is anything I hope this blog does, it’s to give hope and guidance to those who are struggling to find their feet in this sector. I'll explore different ways you can gain valuable experience and share solutions to the problems I faced on my journey into the sector. The journey might not exactly be a walk in the park, but you are needed and there is space for everyone in the sector! 

Firstly, I would like to introduce myself a little. My name is Lirayen, a Keeping it Wild Trainee and birder from South London, Croydon. I am the daughter of refugees from Latin America who came to England in the 70s and 80s and has lived in South London ever since. Growing up, my grandparent's back garden in Streatham was the only green space I was regularly exposed to and I took a massive fascination with their garden snails- I marked and named one Patrick who would be my first pet! Contrary to most young kids growing up, I never grew out of my snail-loving stage and would from a young age decide that I wanted to work with wildlife. Unfortunately, I would soon learn this career choice would come with many challenges on the way- right until this day! The lack of support in the education system, being a coloured person and not being able to afford to volunteer were just some of the many challenges. These challenges led me to give up on my dreams and I worked a job I hated for almost 2 years after university. It took the pandemic for me to realise how important working with wildlife was to me and where I started to do the following things- things I could have done before giving up.  

Volunteering

Rule number one: those expensive experiences abroad with elephants and sloths are not the be-all and end-all of gaining valuable experience with wildlife. If you google ‘gaining experience in wildlife conservation you will be bombarded with endless organisations claiming that volunteering with animals on a tropical island is the best way to gain experience. I wasted too much time stressing over the fact that I could never afford these luxury experiences and believing it would hold me back in succeeding. You can gain just as much valuable experience from volunteering in your local area- even if that’s somewhere in London! Unfortunately, no matter what your circumstances are, there is no escaping volunteering in the environmental sector. This is especially the case for those, like the majority, who don’t know exactly what they want to do. Volunteering is the easiest way to try out different types of roles within the sector. If, like me, finances make it difficult for you to volunteer, try to volunteer as local as possible to save time and money and seek organisations which can contribute to your travel and/or food like London Wildlife Trust!  

Community Work

There is always room for improvement in our local areas in terms of how eco-friendly or green they are, especially for us Londoners! Think of ways to make your neighbourhood greener and how to engage the people in your neighbourhood with nature. Not only is this super rewarding for you and for those who will benefit from the improvements but it will also look amazing on your CV- it shows great leadership skills! Just to give you an idea, in spring 2020 I decided to start a community garden along with my neighbours. We started from absolutely nothing- just a small patch of green on our road which was overgrown with bramble and cow parsley. By the end of 2020, we had reaped enough crops to feed our entire neighbourhood. Our community garden is now a very successful vegetable patch with crops growing all year round. From pumpkin to Pak Choi, we have everything our neighbourhood needs to make a wholesome meal!

Networking 

I cannot stress the importance of meeting other people in the sector especially those who share similar struggles and walks in life. For the longest time, I felt alone and believed I was the only one facing certain barriers. When I started to network more, I soon realised there were so many people who shared similar challenges which a) made me feel way better about my situation and b) gave rise to friendships where we share ideas and opportunities. I’ve met some amazing people who are making big moves in the environmental sector (especially for people of colour) through events held by Flock Together and Black Girls Hike. Both of these groups are an absolute must for those from under-represented backgrounds wanting to meet like-minded people. The sense of community you feel from being at one of their events is immense and honestly life-changing. Sign up to their newsletters to keep up to date with their events!  

Low-cost/paid experiences outside of London 

So, apart from volunteering, there are also some opportunities out there which are either paid or have living costs paid for. A lot of these opportunities are abroad, so if you want to travel but money is tight then this is a good option for you! Although these experiences are often very low paid (or just cover food/travel costs) they are much cheaper than the luxurious wildlife experiences that cost thousands of pounds. I find these types of experiences using www.environmentjob.co.uk and looking in the voluntary section (they put paid experiences in this section). This is where I found the opportunity to intern with Birdlife Malta where my travel and living costs were all paid for! This experience completely changed my life as I found my love for birds and was my first step into gaining experience in wildlife conservation. I also found another opportunity for when I finish my traineeship (using the same website) which is to go to Skomer island to assist the warden for 3 months. This opportunity is with the Wildlife Trrust who will cover my travel costs and accommodation, so I just have to cover food costs!  

Keeping it Wild Traineeship 

Applying for the Keeping it Wild Traineeship was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my career and an experience I will remember forever. Before becoming a trainee, I felt little to no hope in finding a job in the environmental sector as I lacked the skills, experience and most importantly confidence. It’s such a well-rounded programme, giving young people the opportunity to explore the many different roles in the sector- all whilst being paid! The most amazing thing about the programme is that it is specifically targeted to help those from under-represented and low-socioeconomic backgrounds who would otherwise struggle to gain experience. I couldn’t recommend this traineeship enough and would urge any young person living in London, who is interested in pursuing a career in the environmental sector, to check it out. You can find tons of information about the traineeship London Wildlife Trust's website and Instagram.  
 
I really hope this has given some insight into the type of things you can do to kickstart your journey into the wild. Keep pushing, you are wanted and most importantly you are needed!