Wildlife walks with her uncle in Somerset when visiting on family holidays sparked Alison's interest in wildlife and the environment. She lived in Singapore as a child and kept mantids as pets (much to her mother's disgust!) Working in Borneo as a midwife, she watched turtles laying eggs on beaches and rescued cats (whose tails were broken as kittens to ward off evil spirits who inhabited them, supposedly making babies ill!) until she had 17 cats to rehome when she left!

What made you come to Cornwall and get involved with Cornwall Wildlife Trust?

A change of career after 20 years as a midwife brought me to Cornwall to study Animal Science at Duchy College. I got an HND but had no prospect of work, so volunteered at CWT following an appeal on Radio Cornwall for Tap Routes Volunteers in the Reserves and Education sections. Tap Routes is a brilliant training scheme which allows you to go on a variety of training days run by partner organisations and work towards an NVQ in Environmental Conservation at level 2 or 3. I have learned so much about the environment and wildlife of Cornwall as well as how to teach the subject to children.

What have you been doing recently?

I joined Cornwall Wildlife Trust in July 2001 to help Education Officer Mark Nicholson with the Seaquest for Kids project. We piloted it in Victoria Park that August, worked on fitting activities to the National Curriculum and discussed delivery in schools with teachers over the autumn term. We finally started working in schools the following spring term (2002). I took activities into 20 schools in the first year, and have 30 sessions booked for this year as I now have a helper in Steve Summers. (See Seaquest for Kids article, page 13.)

I also answer children's wildlife queries for Pawprint magazine and run the Bat Adoption Scheme for Cornwall Bat Hospital where I work every Sunday, feeding and caring for injured bats with Ginni Little.

What are the highlights of your work?

The highlights of working for the Trust are 1) going into primary schools and working with enthusiastic youngsters who feel as strongly about animals as I do, and 2) meeting like-minded people all day every day, both at Allet and on Tap Routes training days.

Which conservation issues concern you most?

The conservation issues that concern me most are to do with waste pollution, both on land and out at sea. I hate seeing litter strewn along country lanes or washed up on the strandline of beaches, and flytipping, well.....!

What are your personal conservation, hopes and aspirations for the future?

I would love a job where I could help address the waste problem in this county (which we do in Seaquest For Kids to a certain extent).

What is your advice to other-people wanting to volunteer or get involved?

If anyone has time to spare and is interested in the environment then they should enquire about volunteering with a conservation group such as Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Even though there's no money in it, the satisfaction of working to help Cornish wildlife is enough to keep you going (well, I've been here nearly 2 years now, so it's got to be OK hasn't it?!)

Interview by Rowena Millar