I’m a current 3rd year BSc (Hons) Marine Biology Student at the University of Stirling and known amongst my friends as the ‘crazy fish lady’ because of my passion for marine conservation.

Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to pursue a future in marine biology (or at that young age, something where I could work with dolphins). It’s long been an obsession of mine. So much so, that Immediately after completing my final exams at high school in 2018, I flew out to Sri Lanka to spend a month volunteering at a sea turtle sanctuary (despite having never travelled alone before). It was this experience that truly kickstarted my venture in active conservation efforts and furthered developed my passion for marine conservation.

Following the first year of my degree, I began my university’s first Marine Conservation Society in 2019: to serve as a safe space for students with a passion for environmental activism to come together, meet new people and be a part of marine conservation efforts through physical action (such as beach cleans and citizen science projects), education and raising awareness of issues impacting the marine environment. Through the society, we’ve collaborated with a number of environmental organisations: raising funds for Sea Shepherd UK, hosting guest speakers from Keep Scotland Beautiful, working alongside the MCS in a Great British Beach Clean and to train students as Sea Champion volunteers to deliver presentations to local schools and youth groups. Though the society’s main focus is to help protect our oceans, we’ve also been involved in a number of collaborative environmental projects and efforts, with one of our proudest achievements to date is having organised a full week of fundraising activities to assist the Australian bushfire relief effort at the beginning of 2020. This week brought together a number of different university clubs and societies, local Stirling businesses and individuals to not only raise over £2,000 for 3 bushfire relief charities (NSW Rural Fire Service, Australian Red Cross and WIRES), but it also created a strong sense of hope, solidarity and community.

As someone that personally volunteers for Sea Shepherd UK, the MCS and in public engagement at Edinburgh Zoo, I’m keen to help provide volunteering opportunities to other young people through the society. I’m a strong believer that not only is volunteering incredibly rewarding and can be life-changing, but it’s also absolutely necessary to help in the protection of the planet and its future. Upon completing my degree, I hope to pursue a career in marine conservation: helping to create more vital marine protected areas in our oceans, assisting with marine cleanup efforts and also actively contributing to marine life rescue and rehabilitation efforts. My ultimate goal is to eventually open my own marine life sanctuary here in Scotland, but I hope to get some more experience in the field and also see a bit more of the world before I target that venture.