Anyway, I thought I'd copy in here the letter I posted to the CRRU news room on my return home from the project. Fired up or what! Actually, I've not come back down to ground yet - there's so much we need to do.............
If anyone wants to squeeze me in their suitcase, I'll be ready in a jiffy!
Beverley de Valmency
TO: CRRU NEWS FORUM
Yes, team XI, the team that were never meant to be, but CRRU agreed
to extend the season to accommodate us. If only they'd known what
they were letting themselves in for!
As a Reed Elsevier corporate team, we came from Exeter, Oxford,
Surrey and London. Over 80 members of staff battled for 8 places! So,
the priviledged team set off to Sunny Gardenstown - yes, it was
sunny, in the middle of October!
Our expectations were exceeded, beyond our wildest dreams. We learnt
so much, like sponges, we watched presentations, asked questions and
sought to find out and observe as much as we could about how these
wonderous animals live, breed, socialise, travel, survive and battle
against the human invasion, destruction and toxication of their
environment.
When I got home, the only way I could describe our impact on them was
to say that if someone came into my house, dumped all their rubbish,
day after day, forced me into the smallest corner to try to live, and
then filled that air with toxins and made it really difficult for me
to reach the fridge - that would sum up what we do to our wildlife.
How dare we!
That aside, we laughed, we danced, we cried, we debated, we worked (I
have to put that in incase my boss reads this!), we bonded, we saw
ruins, renovations, we walked, we talked, rescued Bartholomew, we had
pirate nights, pie nights, quiz nights, drunken nights, the
list goes on.
Reading the forum, some of the earlier teams have had stunning
encounters, and after a slow first day, we encoutered the dolphins,
basking sharks, seals etc throughout the week, hopefully one of the
guys will post some pics. But I don't think my team will ever be
allowed to forget mistaking a seal for a turtle - PLEASE don't ask,
Kev will never let us live it down!
We came away with a bunch of new fantastic friends, and owe Kev, Pine
and Nina a debt of gratitude for their tremendously hard work, at the
end of a long season. Their unsalaried commitment to this research
and rescue operation can neither be forgotten nor left unsupported in
the future.
Thanks guys!
p.s. Wasn't that farmer charming in the way he evicted us from his
haystack and land!
to extend the season to accommodate us. If only they'd known what
they were letting themselves in for!
As a Reed Elsevier corporate team, we came from Exeter, Oxford,
Surrey and London. Over 80 members of staff battled for 8 places! So,
the priviledged team set off to Sunny Gardenstown - yes, it was
sunny, in the middle of October!
Our expectations were exceeded, beyond our wildest dreams. We learnt
so much, like sponges, we watched presentations, asked questions and
sought to find out and observe as much as we could about how these
wonderous animals live, breed, socialise, travel, survive and battle
against the human invasion, destruction and toxication of their
environment.
When I got home, the only way I could describe our impact on them was
to say that if someone came into my house, dumped all their rubbish,
day after day, forced me into the smallest corner to try to live, and
then filled that air with toxins and made it really difficult for me
to reach the fridge - that would sum up what we do to our wildlife.
How dare we!
That aside, we laughed, we danced, we cried, we debated, we worked (I
have to put that in incase my boss reads this!), we bonded, we saw
ruins, renovations, we walked, we talked, rescued Bartholomew, we had
pirate nights, pie nights, quiz nights, drunken nights, the
list goes on.
Reading the forum, some of the earlier teams have had stunning
encounters, and after a slow first day, we encoutered the dolphins,
basking sharks, seals etc throughout the week, hopefully one of the
guys will post some pics. But I don't think my team will ever be
allowed to forget mistaking a seal for a turtle - PLEASE don't ask,
Kev will never let us live it down!
We came away with a bunch of new fantastic friends, and owe Kev, Pine
and Nina a debt of gratitude for their tremendously hard work, at the
end of a long season. Their unsalaried commitment to this research
and rescue operation can neither be forgotten nor left unsupported in
the future.
Thanks guys!
p.s. Wasn't that farmer charming in the way he evicted us from his
haystack and land!
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