22 Dec Life on the Edge Apprentices 2025 – A Year in Review

Our three 2025 Apprentices have written a few words about their experiences on the apprenticeship programme. We are delighted to share it with you. If you are looking to get involved with Life on The Edge or apply for our advertised roles, these blogs are a great insight into some of the work and opportunities we can offer!

Maisie

It’s hard to believe that I’m already one year into the Life on the Edge apprenticeship, I feel like time has very truly flown., I feel more confident than ever in the work that I am doing and have been able to take part in some really cool experiences. This year I’ve been able to go coasteering for the first time, learnt how to drive a tractor, learnt how to hedge lay and have taken part in wildflower seed harvesting. Learning in such a practical way and then relating it into classroom theory has really helped me in my understanding of conservation, especially when being surrounded by such passionate conservationists all the time, my skills have started to flourish.

One of my highlights for this year has been surveying the butterflies along the coast path; in the height of summer, when everything was in bloom and wildlife was abundant, it felt amazing to be out in the sunshine and spotting what each month brought in its butterfly populations. This summer for me has been really enjoyable, I’ve been able to take part in such a variety of engagement events as well as more ecological focused ones, from archaeological digs upon Bolt Head to moth breakfasts on Berry Head I’ve had such a wealth of opportunities to join in on that I wouldn’t have had elsewhere.

Coming back into winter again it is nice to be able to see past jobs recur once more – seeing how the land has changed over this past year and what effect summer has had on the emerging wildlife. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year entails and where my skills will venture next!

Simone

I am now one year into my Life on the Edge apprenticeship and it has been an incredible experience working across the south coast of Devon. I have learnt so much more than I anticipated and have really enjoyed the wide variety of experiences. From building and installing gates, surveying arable flowers, leading volunteer groups, tree planting projects and community engagement work this apprenticeship had offered  more than I expected and I have gained confidence in my career progression as a Countryside Ranger.

Jacob

Since our first blog post near the start of the apprenticeship I have been given so many opportunities to develop my skills in a number of areas. Some tasks I enjoyed the most were dry-stone walling and hedge laying, both of which I have improved at significantly since my initial months. The arrival of winter has brought many trees to be planted; it has been very rewarding to take part in planting projects across the south Devon coast that have had such a positive impact on the landscape.

The rambunctious office dogs have necessitated a dog pen to be built outside the office and for the last month I have been honing my woodworking skills to produce a rustic cleft-chestnut fence that has received many compliments from passing walkers. The completion of this fence soon will highlight the journey of development I have been on over this past year, gaining the skills and confidence to take on projects like this on my own. I am excited about what the final months will bring before the final assessment.