So in the summer of 2012, instead of jetting off to the lovely Australia like I did in 2011, I got the chance to do some pretty great fieldwork for the British Geological Survey (BGS).
The project I was involved in was the Geochemical Baseline survey of the environment (Official Website), or G-BASE for short. It was an interesting 5 weeks to say the least and I was completely shattered by the end of it but I loved every minute of it (almost).
We were based in South West England in the counties of Cornwall and Devon and our task was to sample streams for sediment, heavy minerals, vegetation and water.
This involved working in a pair using a map and GPS to find the points at which the streams had to be sampled, which was more than a little tricky at times, but we coped even though my map skills were rather questionable! Thankfully the rest of the team had more talent in that department, although I did manage to sieve a few mean sedis!
During our volunteering our accommodation was provided and paid for by the BGS, we got to stay in two lovely houses in Colan Barton in Cornwall and Woodhall Barns near Exbourne in Devon.
The house in Colan Barton was a fabulous 350 year old building with an outdoor heated swimming pool and was easily the nicest place I have ever stayed. The Woodhall barns were pleasant as well and were only a short 2km walk from the Red Lion pub in Exbourne with the greatest landlord ever, it's supposed to close at 11.30pm but we know different ;) Cheers Nick!
So here's a few pictures of us hard at work!
The sample bag train.
The sample check off.
The awkward moment after a day of work when you've got more sedi on you than in the bags...
The moment you learnt to use a wrench and screw driver or got high on sample bag glue.
The hours spent on that glorious bus.
The times when a stream looked more like a river.
The joy when you find the perfect stream.
The times when it felt like the rain would never stop.
The interesting creatures you find out there in the wild...
The days you had enough time to stop and take pictures :)
The oh so familiar long faced look on those cow's faces.
The taste of a pint at the end of the day :)
The days we only had to sample 4 sites :)
The rare chance to sunbathe while waiting to be picked up.
The moment you realise you're lost and decide taking photos is easier than finding the way.
The mouse!
The crazy dogs in the middle of nowhere.
The scary farms you found yourself unwillingly entering.
The times you felt silly for arming yourself with a spade.
That amazing kitchen at Colan Barton.
The extremely rare perfect stream.
The times you seemed like a wimp because cows didn't scare your partner.
The sieving kit that never fitted the bag!
That feeling when a bad day got better.
The days when you wondered how you got there.
The streams where the sediment was just no good!
The cows in every field you ever went in.
The horrific hungover mornings in the field.
The story of your life.
We were also lucky enough to be let out on Saturday nights and Sundays after a long working week. While in Cornwall we spent a lovely day in Newquay town and had a fantastic beach day at Perranporth which involved playing volleyball with some old men for many glorious hours (more fun than it sounds :P). While in Devon we spent an afternoon in the town of Okehampton, went shopping in Exeter and had a couple nights out in Exeter's city centre where we got up to plenty of drunken mischief to soothe our scratched and aching limbs!
Besides the falling in slurry, early mornings and developing an irrational fear of cows (not so irrational after my experiences) I had a great 5 weeks with some excellent people.
During my time on G-BASE I got used to walking through cow poo, improved my fitness, learnt that hills are evil, listened to the same songs 1000 times, became more fearless, discovered what those yellow lines on OS maps are, ate some great Cornish pasties, swam in the Atlantic Ocean again, felt wetter and colder than ever before, acquired more insect bites than I thought possible, slept like a bear, drank large amounts of Scrumpy cider, had some serious ups and downs, used tools, killed my walking boots, found Jimmy the sheep, jumped in a pool whilst intoxicated, mastered the art of barbed wire climbing, walked through Bodmin Moor in the fog, lost a welly, sampled some pretty streams, spotted some buzzards (and an unidentifiable beast), got covered in sedi (and roadkill), was lost and found, chased by dogs, swore at a (seriously obnoxious) child, gave my chocolate to a needy soul, made my legs jump further than they were designed to, felt like I was going to die/live again, dropped down a hole, yawned a ridiculous amount, defined girl power, used a spade as a weapon, discovered a forest can mean nettles not just trees, got electrocuted by a mean fence, appreciated some helping hands....
AND
Most importantly.... gained some wonderful friends in the process :) The memories will last forever even if the food budget never did haha!
So here's a few of those pictures that paint a thousand words...
Because pools are more fun when you're drunk.
And so on...
Because being crazy is so much better than being normal.
Because G-BASE makes you (me) tired.
Because we looked cleaner than we had in weeks.
Because we love the Red Lion.
Because Exeter is excellent.
Because we love Izzy's photos.
Because G-BASE was over :(
Because we love Nick.
Because Cava is the best champagne.
Because we weren't covered in mud.
Because Pete drank too much.
Because Cornish Rattler is lethal.
Because Joe loves pigs.
Thanks for an eventful summer G-BASE :)
Peace
x
