Hello world.

Hi, my name is Sian.

Hanging out with one happy husky on a frozen lake in Beitostølen, Norway

I am a Biodiversity and Conservation master’s student and I am about to step out into the big, wide world to start my career in conservation science.

Being outside, exploring places that border on wilderness excites me. Becoming lost in a dense forest where only the tunes of songbirds and the patter of deer’s feet keep you company, or taking solace a few metres below the powerful breaking waves of the North Sea. These are the places I love and want to protect. And I know there are thousands of you out there who feel this way too. So hello to you.

Outside of my studies I am an avid scuba diver. Four years ago I was a weak swimmer and preferred to observe the beauty of the ocean from the shallows or the safety of a boat (would you believe!). However after going a ‘Try Dive’ in the Uni swimming pool, 20 minutes later I knew I couldn’t bear to never dive again. And now I have a wonderful scuba family and have been able to experience in breath-taking detail an ecosystem so unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

Diving in the Red Sea, Egypt

Learning to dive invoked an intense urge to protect these environments that I was dipping into. It was a stark reminder that our carelessness can have a significant impact on marine communities. There’s nothing quite like the first time you see a beautiful sea fan hopelessly entangled with fishing line or the sea bed littered with beer cans.

My other love is wolves. I cannot explain it. Although I have never seen one in the wild (and will undoubtedly be a complete mess if I ever do), looking at wolves gives me that weak in the gut, overwhelming feeling – like when you fell head over heels in love for the first time. And if I am ever fortunate enough to be involved in the conservation of wolves, I will count myself as one incredibly lucky human.

Hudson Bay wolves (Canis lupus hudsonicus) native to Canada

This is my first blog. I am writing because I want to share my experiences and lessons learned with others who are trying to do the same. I also hope to inspire and share my passion with those of you adore the natural world around you, and to make it easier for you to make sustainable choices.

Conservation science is a difficult career path to take, as there are so many intelligent, impassioned people around the world that want to protect our planet. This may seem a little disheartening for someone just starting out, as the competition is so fierce. However it makes me incredibly happy that there are just so many of us that are willing to fight for conservation, and to have a career doing what we care about most. My wish is to share my experiences as I venture into this field of work, in the hope to create a network of like-minded people and share our collective experiences, which will enable us to strengthen each other.

So please, leave comments and feedback, send me an email with a question or suggest ways I can improve. Social media has allowed us to broadcast to the world that nature needs our help. Let’s keep using it to educate and inspire those around us.