Well it’s been just over a year that I have been classed as a full time member of staff; last year, even though I was around the Trust, I was only part time as I worked 3 days on park and 2 days in the coffee shop. Many things have been happening this year, not only to the Trust, but also new staff have been arriving, so it’s been good fun to be meeting new faces and being able to relax knowing that I am not the freshest face on the block now. During this year I have been introduced to lots of new things, some of them easier than others!

Flying Goose the Bateleur eagle

Jan / Feb 2007 – Getting everything ready for the opening day, as ever it’s a well deserved break when the Trust is shut for a few months of the year (until now!). We all get to ‘relax’ a little but the hard work never stops - new aviaries are being built and lots of things are always changing. At the beginning of the year I get the lovely job of Health and Safety, which includes COSHH (Control of substances hazardous to health), Risk assessments and the lovely PAT testing (portable appliance testing). I get to do the PAT testing with Jane so she does all the work and I do all the writing of the appliances!

Kim tagging a vulture's wing

May / June 2007 – This is the time of the year it’s fairly quiet around the park so it means that the newer members of staff are able to have a go at flying birds they haven’t yet flown and also talking commentaries. Talking the displays has to be one of the most exciting parts of the day for me, to begin with I used to be really nervous and conscious of my own voice but now I have been doing it for a while I have relaxed much more and you can’t stop me talking! The most daunting time for me talking displays was when I was asked to talk the 2 o’clock display, as many of you know it’s the biggest one of the day so you have to be on top form for that one.

Aug / Sep 2007 – The busiest time of the year, but this year it was not the best, to say the least. What happened to our so called ‘summer’? There was not much of one really. However, each day plenty of people came through the shop and into the park. Summer is a very busy time for the staff as there is always something taking place somewhere in the park that we are involved in. This year the park also had (or should I say, has) its photographic competition running, and at certain times of the year entries come flooding in. These two months have to been one of the busiest for entries and I have appeared in them a couple of times at least!

One of the 'days of excitement' during the Africa trip; white-water rafting

October 2007 - This was by far my most exciting month. As many of you are aware the Trust has involvement with a project in South Africa with African White-backed Vultures. Well this year I was lucky enough to be asked to go to Africa; I went with 5 others, who included Andy and Cedric. Before I went away Ash said to me I would be the odd one out as I was the only girl and also the others who came would fit in with Cedric (talking lots) and Andy (being very loud)! However it was such an amazing experience; we all got on fantastically and being able to construct a walkway to the vulture restaurant and feeling as if you had done something which will make a difference is amazing. Also climbing the acacia trees to ring the young vultures was incredible. The whole trip was an eye opener and was not a holiday as some of you may think; we all agreed to call it a ‘working’ holiday - with a few laughs and a few days of excitement added to it!

November 2007 – Park is closed again! So all the new building work will commence and my Health and Safety is just around the corner. However we are open at weekends so do come down and see our new winter team and the changes at the Trust.