Volunteering after the Connect Chagos Project

By Claudia Naraina

The Connect Chagos project has been a life changing experience for me and a project that allowed me, not only to live my passion to the fullest but to also learn and acquire the practical skills used in conservation and how to work with local communities to increase understanding of environmental issues. After one of my greatest adventure to the Chagos Archipelago and my cultural and conservation mission to Hawaii, I felt so inspired and did not want to give up on my passion and the project.  

Back in the UK, my next adventure began with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, where I volunteered with amazing people and learnt how to manage land in a wildlife friendly way. My next mission is to gain more skills, knowledge and assist with improving biodiversity on different reserves in 
order to conserve and enhance their natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage.

Claudia with clearing away unwanted vegetation in preparation for a new path to take visitors through a woodland walk in Moston Fairway. Not much larger than a football pitch, this former site of the Moston Exchange railway sidings has flourished over the last century as an urban wilderness. The site has dry grassy areas, woodland, and even an urban marsh (unique in Manchester) that acts as a haven for breeding common frogs and smooth newts.

Claudia with other volunteers digging to allow water to flow without obstruction.

Claudia (far left) and the team after a hard days work!

Claudia Naraina is a healthcare professional from Manchester. She is passionate about conservation, loves scuba diving and other water sports. She graduated from the Connect Chagos Programme in 2015 and continues to developed skills in conservation. She has been on an expedition to learn about the Chagos Archipelago and the fauna and flora it supports and hopes to draw upon the knowledge gained to educate the Chagossian Community and the public at large.