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Meet the Staff |
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| St Kilda Ranger – Bill Shaw | ||
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Ahoy there! Bill Shaw reporting in, feeling very privileged to be here. My main role is to help people get as much as possible out of their visit to this amazing place. This means meeting visitors when they arrive and helping those who want to learn more about the archipelago’s fascinating past and present life. Other aspects of the job are to study the breeding productivity of fulmars and kittiwakes and monitoring numbers of Soay and Boreray sheep (which I’m told are just as attractive as the Herdwick breed from Cumbria. I’ll have to see!!). I also hope to set up a project to ascertain the distribution of the unique field mouse on Hirta, and I’ll be continuing the vigilant efforts to prevent the introduction of rats onto the islands. I’ve been working in nature conservation related jobs for a good number of years. My previous most isolated job was living in a small community in northern Mongolia, where I was involved in a forest fire prevention project. I’ve just moved up here from my home in the English Lake District and the delights of Barrow-in-Furness, where my last job was wardening a coastal nature reserve, North Walney - home to the UK’s rarest and noisiest amphibian, the natterjack toad. |
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| St Kilda Archaeologist – George Geddes | ||
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This is my first year as St Kilda Archaeologist, where I will be undertaking a variety of activities ranging from research, to conservation work, surveying, guiding visitors and monitoring coastal erosion. As the islands have dual World Heritage Status, the standing buildings, field systems and archaeological sites are a key part of its identity and significance, and a unique resource in global terms. Having worked for 3 years in the private sector, I relish the chance to work in such a different context and in such a fascinating and symbolic place. I originally studied at Edinburgh, focussing mainly on the Scottish Iron Age, and I later qualified from York with an Archaeology of Buildings MA looking at long term continuity and change in Hebridean vernacular architecture. I hope to pursue some research on the islands as well as continuing the excellent work of my predecessors. |
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| Read the St Kilda Archaeologist's Report 2005 featuring the cleit and dyke surveys, work carried out by work parties throughout the summer, and a summary of work for the winter months off the island. | ||
| St Kilda Seabird and Marine Ranger – Sarah Money | ||
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2005 saw an addition to the NTS staff on St Kilda with the creation of a new summer position to carry out seabird and marine monitoring. The spectacular nature of St Kilda’s marine environment was recently recognised by its inclusion within the World Heritage Site designation, and an increasing interest in marine and seabird ecology generally, particularly in the light of recent seabird collapses around Scotland, meant that the time seemed right for expanding this area of work on the island. My role involves contributing to long term monitoring schemes of seabird populations on the islands, in addition to carrying out studies on the breeding biology of Leach’s petrel. I also work with visiting dive boats to collect information about some of the wealth of marine species seen on dives, to help us to conserve this precious habitat. I have been working in bird conservation for the past 13 years, with my interest in seabirds taking me to various remote and beautiful locations, such as the Chatham Islands and Midway Atoll. This is my fifth stint on St Kilda in various capacities, and I have even been lucky enough in the past to spend time camping on Boreray and Soay, carrying out petrel and puffin surveys. As the premier seabird location in Britain, I can safely say that St Kilda, with its stunning backdrops, is one of the most breathtaking places you can ever be asked to work in! |
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