Wednesday 16 November 2016

Dream job at the Beeb for former Newquay student


A former wildlife student from Cornwall College Newquay has landed a dream job presenting a popular children’s programme on the BBC!!   
  
Lizzie Daly, who studied her FdSc Animal Behaviour &Psychology course at Cornwall College Newquay, is currently presenting The Lets Go Club on the CBeebies channel. 























An adventurer at heart, Lizzie regularly goes cliff jumping, sea swimming and off road running and has just completed running 200 miles alone in Europe to raise money for the World Land Trust this summer. Her curiosity for the natural world has led her to conducting research in Iceland, Cornwall, across South Africa, and even venturing alone into Northern Cyprus to observe the distribution of snakes.  In addition to presenting The Lets Go Club, Lizzie aims to engage others by making wildlife documentaries which will inspire and encourage people to involve themselves in scientific endeavours. 

We sat down with Lizzie to find out more about her latest success and what she remembers from her time at Cornwall College: 


Where does your interest in wildlife and the natural world stem from?

Lizzie: It's funny because I get asked this a lot but I can't actually pinpoint the moment I fell in love with learning about the natural world! What I do know is that from a young age, elephants were a species that fascinated me, particularly in their complex social behaviours, and when I was in school I remember listening to hundreds of audio clips of elephant rumbles to try and learn the "elephant dictionary". Apart from that, I spent a lot of time when I was younger amongst nature and in the outdoors as I would go camping and backpacking with my family, so that probably played a huge part in my early interest.

What exactly about the subject draws you to it?

Lizzie: The natural world tells some of the most dramatic stories ever seen - what's not to love?!  No, really, I feel the most comfortable when I'm exploring nature or heading off into the middle of nowhere in search of catching a behaviour or wildlife spectacle on film, and my fascination for wildlife comes hand in hand with my strong sense of adventure. 

I'm drawn to research because of the combination of problem solving, creativity and rigorous testing that gives us today's extensive knowledge of the natural world and this has always inspired me. In fact I would go as far to say that not a week goes by where I'm not amazed by a new discovery science makes. 



What did you enjoy about studying at Cornwall College Newquay?

Lizzie: One of the highlights of studying at Cornwall College was the location and the people. Having the Cornish coast and the zoo right on my doorstep meant that I could apply what I learnt at University to the environment around me. Furthermore the staff and researchers were very supportive and creative, encouraging students to involve themselves in a variety of scientific endeavours. 

Can you tell me how your presenting job on the BBC came about?

Lizzie: A lot of my time is spent making my own wildlife films and pushing them on social media and believe it or not the BBC job came from being randomly spotted online! This is why it's so important to put yourself out there...and also through pushing myself online I was able to get myself noticed by an agent.





















How did Cornwall College contribute to where you are today?

Lizzie: Cornwall College was an important stepping stone for me in learning more about the world of research. The University provided me with plenty of opportunities to volunteer, work in the field and develop my skills in communicating science. The work of projects like SINNG are vital in raising awareness and communicating to the public about our important native species, it's these projects which really make a difference.


Have you got any advice for aspiring wildlife presenters out there?

Lizzie: YES! To anyone who wants to be a wildlife presenter, grab a camera and start filming as soon as possible! If you are passionate about wildlife then the story will tell itself, all you have to do is catch it on camera. It takes practice, time and patience (usually waiting around in the cold/rain for hours which 90% is the case when filming wildlife), but when you do get the shot / camera piece you need it's the most rewarding feeling - and being able to share that moment with others is even more special!!


Keep up to date with Lizzie:
https://www.facebook.com/LizzieDalyWildlife/ 
https://twitter.com/_lizziedaly



To see the range of Zoology, Surf & Marine courses on offer visit: 
www.cornwall.ac.uk/newquay 

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