Apply now for Universities Week on Bardsey Island

Bardsey Lodge and Bird Observatory are offering 10 students aged 18-24, a week of hands-on experience in bird monitoring and conservation and we would love to see students from, or studying in, our region benefit from this.

This is a fantastic opportunity for any student with an interest in birds and nature, especially if you are thinking of a career in conservation or Observatory work.

The week will be hosted on the island at the Bardsey Lodge and Bird Observatory from 29 August to 5 September 2026.

There will be a cost of £130 per person (this is a non-refundable deposit), with the rest of the costs subsidised by various partners and supporters, including the West Midland Bird Club.

One of the aims of West Midland Bird Club is to advance the education of the public in the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of wild birds and wild bird study, and promote the conservation of, and raise public and scientific awareness of wild birds and their habitat so we’d love to see as many young people as possible from the WMBC counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and West Midlands benefit from this excellent opportunity.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to help out at the Observatory and gain real hands-on experience at one of the UK's 21 accredited Bird Observatories.

You will discover what it’s like to live at an Observatory and help out with the day-to-day tasks such as counting the migrant birds, and handling and ringing. You will join the Observatory’s professional staff in sea-watching sessions, being shown how to identify birds passing distantly over the waves.

You will also be able to see and help with the Shearwater projects - helping staff to trap and ring adult Manx Shearwaters as they return to the island to breed.

And it’s not just birds - you will help emptying the moth traps and record the contents and contributing to the daily counts of birds on the island at the evening log call.

Several attendees from previous university weeks have gone on to work in conservation, at Bird Observatories, for the RSPB or for the BTO and environmental consultancy agencies, including one of our current Assistants Joel Tragen.

Accommodation and travel

Accommodation will be provided with self catering facilities in the Bardsey Lodge. Accommodation on the mainland will be arranged for the Friday night - students usually meet up in Pwllheli and travel to a nearby bunkhouse where they stay the night and then drive/get a taxi the following morning to the boat. Anyone traveling by car, and is willing to give lifts from Pwllheli or further afield please indicate on the booking form.

How to apply

Before you apply, you can find out more about the opportunity on the Bardsey blog: https://bbfo.blogspot.com/p/joint-university-week-2019.html

You will then need to complete the application form here and return it either by post, or by email to wildlifeimagesuk@gmail.com.