I volunteered with Marsha O'Mahony on the Life on the Levels project over a period of several months in 2019. I observed, collected and transcribed oral history interviews, did some archival research, and made a number of site visits with Marsha.
The experience was varied thanks to Marsha's flexibility and I felt supported to learn new skills. It was a particularly useful experience at that time in my life as I was applying for a PhD in the field of heritage research and was able to talk about this volunteering on my applications. It was also valuable for me personally for a couple of reasons:
(1) I was new to Wales and it helped me understand the local area, its history and environment; and (2) it was good to talk with someone who was interested in the same (potentially rather niche) issues!
I actually wish I could have been involved more, and would be happy to volunteer again if any follow-on projects happen.
Laura Phelps
For general queries about volunteering with Living Levels, please contact the Living Levels Volunteer Coordinator, Beccy Williams: rwilliams@gwentwildlife.org