New Blood!

I suppose I ought to introduce myself. I have recently started (week two! Woo!) as a Community Engagement Assistant at the northern office of Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Along with the existing team and another CEA, I will be promoting the SoS project in the Cumbria area. Suffice it to say that I am enjoying it enormously so far and it's a project which promises to challenge me in new ways for a worthy cause. I have chosen the soubriquet Squirrel Nutkin because a) it's squirrely, duh; and b) it's a mild homage to Beatrix Potter, something of a local icon.

A little bit about me. I am originally from Cumbria and therefore familiar with the local area and the culture of the county, allowing me to tailor my efforts to greatest effect, which helps, because that's my job! I am involved in volunteer work within the community, so working at Save Our Squirrels is a natural extension of my previous experience. If I can find a way to blend these together, all the better! I'm all about the synergy.

So, what am I doing here? I'm scheduled to stay here until November, by which time I hope to have made a significant impact on everyone out there. I will be working closely with SoS affiliates and Squirrelpaws to increase awareness for our organisation and, more importantly, our little furry friend, the red squirrel or sciurus vulgaris. I shan't spoil the surprise, but we have some interesting things planned in the coming months which you won't want to miss! I hope to have raised the profile of Save Our Squirrels significantly by the time I leave.

As I write this, we're just getting down to business. Squirrelpaws has left us CEAs to fend for ourselves for the afternoon while she does very important business in far away Geordie land.

Last week, beyond the admin involved with starting work somewhere new, we got to meet the team at the head office in their lovely building which makes us all very envious and also visit Whinlatter Forest Park west of Keswick. It was a new experience for me as I hadn't been there as an adult and it seemed much smaller than when I last went! (OK, I was about nine, but I don't see how that's relevant...) I'll be guiding visitors around a squirrel trail before long, so keep an eye out for a bemused person wandering around in an SoS t-shirt and try not to get eaten by any wildlife while on the walk because I don't know what to do if it happens and nobody will tell me...oh, and I saw a red squirrel, too, which made my day!

But anyway! That's me. More to come, no doubt, as time progresses. But for now, I'll wish you all a Squirrely week!