Just over a kilometer and a half from the coast of Pembrokeshire, in south-west Wales, lies Skomer Island, a small island of around 2.9 square kilometers where time seems to be marked only by the wind and the tides. No permanent population centre, no shops, just paths, cliffs and some of the richest biodiversity in the UK.
How the environmental conservation project works
Here the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) offers a few candidates the chance to live for a few months by participating in an environmental conservation project. The main task of the volunteers is to count the puffins (in English puffins)symbolic birds of the island. The species is now included in the IUCN list as vulnerable to extinction, due to the rapid decline recorded in many areas of the North Atlantic. Monitoring takes place once a year and serves to evaluate how many specimens return to nest. The counts take place mainly in the hours before sunset, when the birds concentrate on land, making the operation more accurate.
A seasonal commitment immersed in nature
The available positions include stays of approximately three months, between the end of March and September. The activities change with the seasons: in spring the work is concentrated on seabird censuses; in summer the growth of the chicks is analyzed; in autumn the focus shifts to monitoring gray seals and other species present on the island, including voles, reptiles, cetaceans and moths. Volunteers also help with the day-to-day management of the island and welcoming around 25,000 visitors a year.
Guaranteed room and board
The experience does not include a salary, but includes free accommodation, reimbursement of travel expenses within the UK and a support grant of between €230 and €460. An opportunity that attracts those willing to give up comfort in exchange for an essential life and direct contact with nature. The absence of predators such as rats and foxes, combined with the abundance of fish in the surrounding waters, has led to encouraging results: the latest census recorded over 43,000 puffins.
A natural sanctuary in the Welsh sea
Skomer Island is not just home to puffins. It is also home to around 350,000 pairs of shearwaters and thousands of guillemots and razorbills.
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The waters surrounding the island are part of Wales’ only marine protected area, making this remote location a beacon for the protection of marine ecosystems. Living here means accepting isolation and simplicity, but also contributing in a concrete way to the protection of a fragile natural heritage.
Applications will close on February 28th and there are limitations for those who do not have citizenship in the United Kingdom: all the info HERE.
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