“My Marine Wildlife Experience”
Well, with a title of “My Marine Wildlife Experience” one might think I am going to just write an account of me and my connections with the marine natural world. Well, yes I am, but part of being me Helen Mitchem, is that I love engaging and inspiring others. Therefore this overall blog of mine, which I only started on Friday 2nd June, already features information about campaigns, it features a new You Tube series “Seawatch” made by myself and my neighbour’s daughter; it features images from my dive club and important information about vital marine campaigns and initiatives. And for those people who don’t know me yet, hello, welcome and thanks for dropping by into Helen’s Seaworld!
So, let’s go back………….my marine wildlife experience started, like most people’s did in my childhood, with annual visits to my grandparents on the south coast. So, in between spending my pennies in Boscombe pier I spent time rockpooling with my Granpa; exploring places like Chesil Beach and Brownsea Island and kayaking with my dad and brothers on our family holidays. I now fully appreciate the fabulous connections I made to nature and the marine world at a young age and this helps me in my current work by understanding the need to help children who may not get out and about and explore the countryside so much nowadays. So this is why I am a passionate Beach and Forest School leader (more about that later!).
As a child I loved drawing and here is a Father’s Day card I made for my dad about 30 years ago – I love the details I have added to this wonderful marine ecosystem - like the basking shark about to scoop up and filter-eat the krill!!
So I rekindled my interest in the marine world when I went to Salford…………now how many other people can / will say that? Well I like being different! But actually, my link to the sea from Salford arose because I joined a scuba-diving club, I became a member of BSAC (the British Sub Aqua Club); I learned how to jump in and never looked back! Nearly 20 years on, I am a BSAC Advanced Diver and Open Water Instructor, with the University of Nottingham Sub Aqua Club – you can’t live much further than the sea Helen, yet you still manage to dive and help others to dive too!!
I have now spent a whole week (168 hours) of my life underwater, so I would like to officially say I am a mermaid (with the aid of SCUBA equipment!).
Last summer I travelled to the Azores for my birthday, to dive with Blue Sharks (I am a huge shark fan). However, sadly due to overfishing and sharks becoming by-catch, the numbers of blue sharks in the Azores has dramatically reduced over recent years. My friends who run the Twin Peaks dive school there have witnessed this and despite their best efforts, I was unable to dive with the gorgeous blue sharks this time round. However, I did get to dive with Manta Rays, this was my birthday treat and if you read my dive log below, you can see how excited I was and how fabulous an experience it was! I have posted a film above this article – I know it’s not UK Sea-searching but still I wanted to share my magical experience with you via film
Beach Schools (what’s that I hear you cry?)
I became a Forest School leader back in 2012 because I worked in forestry and I realised how special it would be to bring the woods to children in for example urban areas, where they may not often get to experience the wonders of the woods. A year or so later I hear about a less-well known but similar style of outdoor learning called Beach Schools, based around the same principles of child-led regular outdoor education sessions, on the beach. So I jumped at the chance and undertook the Beach School leader course down in Norfolk. Here I am on the course, exactly 4 years ago this week!
I ran my trial sessions on Dunwich beach in Suffolk. then regular sessions with my Sister in law and my nieces and their friends on the beautiful beach in Tarifa, Southern Spain. We called our club, Starfish and it is still running today in the summer!
Within this post I have tried to demonstrate how I have used my knowledge, passion and skills to inspire and involve others in marine conservation and learning. I have tried to briefly indicate some of the reasons I am passionate about conserving and protecting the marine environment. I feel I have been lucky enough to be a part of this special world as a diver and I believe everyone deserves this treat and I am an active member of BSAC, organising and offering “Try Dives” to groups such as the Guides:
I believe as well as the seas being “there” for humans to enjoy; work on and in and undertake recreation in; marine ecosystems and every individual creature within the sea is special and the seas deserves a dedicated person (and team) to work diligently to save and promote them. The Wildlife Trust’s Living Seas team does a fantastic job already and if you just need 1 final piece of the jigsaw to complete an awesome team then I believe that is me (and that would wrap up my marine experience story very well too!) thanks for reading!