Author: nsb11

End of a Fantastic Four Weeks

My fourth and final blog can only start one way, and that is by saying a huge thank you to all the staff at Blue Ventures and the people involved with Charity Insights at Imperial. It has been a memorable four weeks that I feel extremely privileged to have had. There is no doubt in my mind that the experience I have gained from this placement will impact my future career positively.

 

 

The last couple of days have been busy and it has been enjoyable seeing the project coming together. Furthermore, I discovered a great local café that do all day full English breakfasts that were great at helping me power through the work load. Anyways, I hope the rapid population census proxy will benefit the company and they have valued my help. Hopefully this won’t be the last time I am involved with Blue Ventures and I am already enquiring about ways to help my local charities in Cumbria. There is nothing quite like using your scientific ability to help out people who really need it.

 

 

A part of me was sad leaving the office for the last time but it will be nice to get some rest; a break for the mind, but I cannot say the liver will get the same treatment. Freshers here we come………………

 

There isn’t one reason I can think of that would prevent me from working at Blue Ventures again, and I would highly recommend them to anybody interested in conservation or scientific research.

 

 

 

Far from a blue venture…..

I am feeling extremely comfortable within the office now and powering on with the research project. The data collection is complete and I have begun the write up. My supervisor, along with the rest of the staff, has been very helpful and trusting of me, which has enabled me to feel part of the team.

The work Blue Ventures do in Madagascar is phenomenal. Prior to working in the London office, I was unsure exactly of the scale of proceedings, especially considering they have just celebrated their 10 year anniversary. It is clear the local communities are benefiting hugely from their involvement and I hope they will continue to expand at this current blistering rate. This whole experience has corroborated my ambition to spend several months of my year out in Madagascar or Belize doing what I can to help. Furthermore the constant mention of diving in the crystal clear waters has given me an ambition to take diving up as a hobby.

To blow off some steam, I will be attending a friend’s 21st birthday black tie event this weekend to prepare myself for a hectic last week. I am enjoying everything about this placement and hope it continues…

 

What a first week…..

06/09/13

Thankfully the temperature dropped throughout the week and I am now able to work without the need for industrial sized fans. Data collection has been the main goal of this first week and it is coming along nicely. I had to devise a way of categorising the houses found in Madagascar that was as precise as possible, whilst also being efficient enough to complete the given area in the allotted time. Using the ‘Ruler’ tool on Google Earth Pro I measured the diameter of various properties and created three size groups (<5m, 5-9m, and >9m) to give a good spread of data. Following in this it was just a case of doing the hard yards, counting and recording….

Although data collection was at the forefront of tasks of the week, I also made method / error notes as I went along and structured a project outline.

Working 9-5 has not been too taxing so far because I am used to working a lot from part time jobs at home, and I have still managed to find time to go to the gym and socialise. There is a great community feel within the office and having the opportunity to work here is a privilege. All in all I am really enjoying my time here and I am sure that will continue.

Photos are being taken as I go but difficulties with uploading continue. I will likely upload them in a large bundle in the fourth and final blog. Apologies……

 

Blistering Start

02/09/13

My first morning at Blue Ventures’ London HQ is over and I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog now rather than after several beers later on….

A brief overview of who Blue Ventures are, and my expectations of the project seem like a good place to start. Blue Ventures are a science led social enterprise that work alongside coastal communities in order to protect marine ecosystems. Madagascar and Belize are the two main locations that are focussed on. Although the charity is still somewhat in its infancy, they are already becoming well known and respected. The work includes protecting fishing villages, addressing community health and improving the education of the local people. The reason I applied to this research project was to learn what it takes to run a charity, discover more about the challenges facing conservation charities, and to meet people who are genuinely passionate about their work.
The project I have started involves improving the census records for the Velondriake area in south west Madagascar. My work will contribute to the socioeconomic baseline that Cicelin, Blue Forests project’s socioeconomic scientist working on his PhD, is producing. With the local communities ever expanding, Blue Ventures current population data is out of date and requires updating to ensure other projects have accurate information. More on this in my second blog…
Coming from the north of England I am unaccustomed to high temperatures in September. As a result spending the morning in an office predominately made from large glass windows coupled with the blazing hot Sun, has been an experience. On a serious note though the office is airy with a relaxed atmosphere and the people who work here are great. Jo, my supervisor, has been instrumental is setting me off on the right path and I am looking forward to the next few weeks. As long as I wear shorts that is….

(Photos to follow in later posts due to camera issues!)