Ghost ponds & butterfly transects - interning with the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre

By Arden Follington (he/him)

Biodiversity Intern - GIS & Data Support

When I started my internship with Sussex Wildlife Trust in the Biodiversity Record Centre in June, I expected to spend most of my time working with maps and GIS (Geographical Information Systems), and worried I might feel a little disconnected from conservation in the field. Whilst I've certainly spent plenty of time using and learning GIS, one of the highlights of my experience has been discovering how connected and important the role is to real conservation action.

Alongside supporting the Record Centre (SxBRC) and Trust-wide GIS, I've met teams working across Sussex and joined activities with both the Trust and other organisations. These fantastic opportunities have shown me just how varied conservation work is, and how the data that is processed and organised behind the scenes underpins work on the ground.

My main internship project has been digitising ponds from 1840s tithe maps across Sussex, creating a dataset that could help identify thousands of historic ponds. Seeing the potential of this work first-hand during pond condition assessment training with the South Downs National Park Authority was a great experience. We visited restored "ghost ponds"- historic ponds that had been filled in and forgotten- and learned how they benefit freshwater wildlife. It was exciting to see that the maps I'd been working on can help target future restoration sites and will have so many different applications beyond what I first thought, like possible research into Beaver habitat preferences for reintroductions.

I also enjoyed a butterfly transect training day run by Butterfly Conservation about long-term monitoring techniques and butterfly ID, joining a Shoresearch at Brighton Marina to survey marine wildlife, learning about improving visitor experience with the Trust's reserves team, and assisting with a BioScan to contribute to DNA-based biomonitoring. It's been fantastic to join in with so many activities, and I've learnt so much every single day!

Having recently completed a degree in Ecology and Conservation, I've found this internship an incredible opportunity to develop GIS and data skills, meet the incredibly passionate staff and volunteers protecting Sussex's wildlife, and see how many different roles, skills, and moving parts are involved in taking action for nature. It has reinforced my ambition to build a career in conservation, and I can't wait to get involved and begin my own journey!