Work Experience with the New Forest NPA
PUBLISHED ON: 14 SEPTEMBER 2023Hi, my name is Matthew Oliver Welch and I have just completed work experience at the New Forest National Park Authority.
During my work placement I have learnt more about the amazing work that is being done to maintain the Forest that I have grown up in and the challenges they face. The team were all supportive of me and made me feel at home straight away despite the short amount of time I had with them.
During the third year of my undergraduate degree in journalism I did a lot of filming and editing, and I was able to use the skills I built up during my placement at the New Forest National Park and develop them further. I was shown how to use a Sony camera which was nice to use and crucially a lot easier to carry around with me. This will mean that when I start my masters in documentary filmmaking, if there is a situation in which I need to use public transport instead of carrying around heavy equipment just using the Sony Camera gives me an easier option to use which is just as good for quality.
I started by filming footage of a planning meeting at Brockenhurst Village Hall where I got to understand a bit more about what’s going on in the New Forest.
Afterwards I spoke to one of the staff members at the National Park about the green careers that the New Forest National Park offers for people hoping to work to tackle the battle against climate change. Once the meeting had finished, I went around Brockenhurst filming footage of animals and green spaces to showcase the village and give the park authority footage that they can use going forward.
The next day I went to Nomansland to do more filming while members of the Wiltshire Council visited to have a look at the area. It was nice to explore more parts of the New Forest and I took some photos which I really liked. I did also make some mistakes while filming but that gives me something to work on going forward to make sure I don’t make the same mistake in the future.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time at the New Forest National Park Authority, and I would highly recommend them to anybody looking for a green career.
