My time as a Wild Coast Sussex intern

Sophie Maplesden

Wild Coast Sussex Intern

Between June to August 2023, I worked as a Wild Coast Sussex intern at the Sussex Wildlife Trust. The Wild Coast Sussex project's main aim is to connect and engage people with their local Sussex coast and sea. I have learnt so much during my internship on the project and have loved working with such an amazing team.

With my internship nearing its end, I thought I’d share what my time here has been like.

The internship started off with Wild Beach leader training. We spent four days out on the beautiful Holywell beach in Eastbourne, learning how to take a holistic approach in helping children to understand and enjoy the coast and the ocean. This was definitely a highlight of my internship, getting our feet wet and discovering all the treasures that can be found on our beaches.

As part of the internship, I got the opportunity to spend days working with the project’s partnership organisations. I spent two days with Sussex IFCA, learning about the research they conduct and even got to go out on a patrol boat with them. We were very lucky to see Bottlenose Dolphins while out at sea!

As well as this, I got to spend a day at SEALIFE Brighton, a highlight was feeding their rescue Sea Turtles and seeing all the other fascinating species they look after there.

I also had the pleasure of joining Ghost Fishing UK out on their boat while they carried out a net collection. It was thrilling to see the volunteer scuba divers hop off the vessel in search of discarded fishing nets that may be causing detriment to marine life.

Another highlight was helping to organise events such as the Wild Coast Weekend and planning a Wild Coast Sussex stand at Hastings pride (happening August 27^th!).

As well as all of these amazing experiences, one of the best parts about the internship was getting to work with such an amazing team. The project has such an important aim and it’s great to see the impact it has on local communities.

After studying Marine Conservation at university and not quite knowing what I wanted to do next, this internship has given me the opportunity to explore what different roles within the conservation sector can look like and what roles I might like to go into in the future. I have gained many skills and it has given a kick start to my career.

I can’t wait to see what’s next!