The National Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Fiona Symonds as Learning and Interpretation Officer for Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, near Ely.

"This is my dream job," says Fiona. "Being Cambridge born and bred I spent many happy Sunday afternoons as a child exploring Wicken Fen and Anglesey Abbey …. I'm passionate about getting children out of the classroom and engaging with the wonders of the natural environment that is all around them"

After graduating with a Botany Degree from the University of Reading, Fiona worked for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, teaching unemployed youngsters traditional countryside skills such as hedge laying and dry stone walling in North Yorkshire.

Whilst working as a conservation volunteer for the National Trust in North Cornwall she spent a day working with school children from the Trusts local Guardianship School, which was to have a profound influence on her career. "Working with children was the most satisfying and rewarding day of my career - I knew instantly that I wanted to share my passion for countryside and nature to help children learn about and explore the natural world"

Prior to joining Wicken Fen, Fiona worked as a full time volunteer with the Community Engagement Officer at Lloyds Park in Walthamstow, North East London, teaching children from Inner London Schools about wildlife in an urban environment.