10/03/2021

Sophie Rolfe, Visitor Ranger

My name is Sophie, and I am one of the Visitor Rangers here at Nene Park, I’ve worked for the Trust for coming up to 2 years now, and love the variety that working in the Park brings.

Throughout the month of the Step into Spring challenge, I am hoping to be able to share with you some different areas of the park to try walking for yourselves, and also some different areas up the Nene Valley to discover (when restrictions allow). I usually take my camera whenever I go for a walk, so hopefully I’ll also be able to share some different flora and fauna that I’ve found while out and about too.

Check back here from 20th March for more blog entries from Sophie!

For more information on the challenge and to support, visit our appeals page https://www.nenepark.org.uk/Appeal/stepintospring

This week I’m duty ranger and trying as much as possible to swap the vehicle for the bike – I managed 10 miles yesterday! Cycling has it’s challenges – it can take longer to get places and I can’t transport tools etc. that I would usually have in the vehicle, but it is better for the environment and far easier on busy days like we’ve had recently to get through the park. Plus it is good for my fitness!

Most of my walks at weekends (generally about 5 miles) have been around the Nene Wetlands reserve, one of the Wildlife Trust reserves. Butterflies being a passion of mine I’ve been trying to spot as many species as possible while out and about both on walks and while around the park. So far I’ve seen: Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Brimstone and a Green Veined White. Hopefully the Speckled Woods and the Orange Tips will be out soon, and with lockdown restrictions easing a bit I can go for a nice walk around one of my favourite butterfly spotting sites – Fermyn Wood.