JOHN HARRISON MEMORIAL FUND
The John Harrison Memorial Fund provides financial assistance to young birdwatchers between the
ages of 16-24, to enable them to visit Fair Isle and take part in the daily work schedule of the
Observatory. It was established in 1968 by Richard Richardson, in memory of John Harrison of
Hunstanton, Norfolk, who visited the island three times before he died at 19 years old. Grants only
cover the cost of travel by the cheapest means possible from your home to the observatory and back.
Full travel costs may only be given for visits of two weeks or longer. While at the observatory,
awardees are required to pay £10 per day to cover the cost of three meals a day, bed linen and towels,
laundry facilities, and to offset fuel costs.
Awardees are expected to take part in the routine work conducted by the ornithological staff. The
type of work varies depending on the time of year, so you are advised to contact the Warden if you
have a particular interest such as ringing or migration studies, so that you can arrange your visit at the
most appropriate time. Preference will be given to applicants wanting to come between April and
July, which incidentally are great times for spring migrants and breeding seabirds. No
accommodation is available during September and October. Daily duties can involve on average two
hours of data entry on computers, as well as migration censuses, ringing, trap repairs, tree planting,
visitor liaison, and occasional maintenance tasks. Work hours are usually 09:00-18:00 hrs, but in the
seabird breeding season may be longer.
Completed application forms should be sent to:
Dr Peter Evans, Ewyn y Don, Bull Bay, Amlwch, Isle of Anglesey LL68 9SD
(e-mail: peter.evans@bangor.ac.uk; Tel: 01407-83282)
along with a detailed CV (including your e-mail address and phone number), and two references
should be sent as well.
Dr Evans will notify you if your application is successful, and you should then check the availability
of accommodation with the Warden, David Parnaby (davidparnaby@yahoo.co.uk and
fibo@btconnect.com) at the observatory and reserve your bed. Please provide him with details of
your travel, and don't forget to save all travel receipts and present them to the Administrator when
you arrive, to claim your travel back. Cost of travel will be offset against your bill for
accommodation.
JOHN HARRISON MEMORIAL FUND APPLICATION:
(please complete all questions)
FULL NAME:
DATE OF BIRTH:
ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE:
E-MAIL:
PREFERRED DATES: ARRIVE FAIR ISLE:
DEPART FAIR ISLE:
HAVE YOU BEEN TO FAIR ISLE BEFORE?
TRAVEL COSTS (please itemise the cost of each stage of your journey – using the most economical
means):
INTERESTS:
GIVE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF YOUR BIRDING EXPERIENCE AND ANY RINGING
EXPERIENCE:
PLEASE GIVE A BRIEF EXPLANATION WHY YOU ARE INTERESTED TO VOLUNTEER AT
FAIR ISLE BIRD OBSERVATORY, AND WHAT YOU HOPE TO GAIN FROM YOUR VISIT:
MUCH OF THE SUMMER IS TAKEN UP IN MONITORING BREEDING SEABIRD COLONIES. THIS
REQUIRES DETAILED OBSERVATIONS AND ACCURATE RECORDING, OFTEN ON YOUR OWN.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE ORNITHOLOGICAL WORK. HAVE
YOU EVER CARRIED OUT ANY FIELDWORK?
RINGING SEABIRDS REQUIRES DESCENDING CLIFFS WITH THE AID OF ROPES AND ALSO
ENTERING COLONIES VIA ZODIAC BOAT. HAVE YOU ANY EXPERIENCE OF SEABIRD
COLONIES AND CLIFF OR BOAT WORK?
ARE YOU PHYSICALLY FIT? ARE YOU
COMFORTABLE WITH HEIGHTS?
ASSISTANTS WILL OFTEN BE LEFT TO CARRY OUT TASKS WITHOUT CONTINUOUS
CHECKING UP FROM THE WARDEN.
THIS REQUIRES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SELF-
MOTIVATION AND COMMITMENT.
WHAT ATTRIBUTES DO YOU HAVE THAT LEND
THEMSELVES TO WORKING ON YOUR OWN AND AS PART OF A TEAM?
DO YOU HOLD A BTO RINGING LICENCE?
FAIR ISLE IS VERY REMOTE WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ‘NORMAL ENTERTAINMENT’, E.G.
NO PUB, TV, CINEMA OR SHOPS (OTHER THAN ONE FOOD STORE). HAVE YOU ANY
EXPERIENCE OF LIVING IN SUCH A REMOTE PLACE AND IF NOT, HOW DO YOU THINK YOU
WOULD COPE WITH THIS SITUATION?
THE GUESTS STAYING AT THE LODGE ARE VERY IMPORTANT AS THEY PAY OUR WAGES
AND ULTIMATELY GUARANTEE THE FUTURE OF THE OBSERVATORY. THEY USUALLY ARE
MIDDLE AGED / RETIRED AND HAVE LIMITED BIRDING KNOWLEDGE. VOLUNTEERS WILL
BE EXPECTED TO TALK TO VISITORS AT MEALTIMES AND IN THE EVENINGS AS WELL AS
ANSWERING QUESTIONS DURING TRAP ROUNDS AND ENCOURAGING ANY VISITORS WHO
MAY WISH TO TAKE PART IN OTHER ACTIVITIES. HAVE YOU ANY EXPERIENCE OF DEALING
WITH THE PUBLIC?
MAINTENANCE OF THE OBSERVATORY BUILDING, HELIGOLAND TRAPS AND STILES, ETC, IS
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WARDEN AND HIS ASSISTANTS, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
TASKS RANGE FROM PAINTING AND DECORATING TO REWIRING TRAPS.
HOW
PRACTICALLY MINDED ARE YOU?
WE HAVE OVER FIFTY YEARS OF DATA, WHICH ARE NOW BEING ENTERED ONTO COMPUTER
BY VOLUNTEERS. BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR COMPUTER LITERACY
VOLUNTEERS WILL BE EXPECTED TO HELP OUT WITH A VARIETY OF TASKS, NOT ALL OF
WHICH ARE BIRD RELATED. ARE YOU WILLING TO PUT YOUR ENERGIES INTO WASHING UP
AND CLEANING, ETC, WHEN NECESSARY?
REFEREES
Please give the name and address of two people whom you have asked to provide a reference for your
application (one should be an ornithological referee and the other a past employer/teacher/lecturer).
Make sure you either include their references or ask them to send them direct to Dr Evans
1) FIRST REFEREE’S NAME & ADDRESS:
POSITION HELD:
TELEPHONE:
E-MAIL:
2) SECOND REFEREE’S NAME & ADDRESS:
POSITION HELD:
TELEPHONE:
E-MAIL:
Please send your application to Dr PGH Evans (Ewyn y Don, Bull Bay, Amlwch, Isle of Anglesey
LL68 9SD; e-mail <peter.evans@bangor.ac.uk>; telephone 0407 832892), preferably by e-mail