Amy Thomas and Exeter Science Centre
Internship case study
Thanks to funding from Devon County Council, we ran a small internship programme in Devon placing current students or recent graduates of the University of Plymouth within businesses throughout Devon. Amy worked as a Net Zero Intern for Exeter Science Centre, supporting public engagement for the new Living Walls for Net Zero (LNZ) project by creating social media posts, producing content for the project webpage, and contributing to events around urban greening. Interns were also hosted by BCR and Ocean Conservation Trust through this initiative.
3 What was achieved?
- Regularly uploaded social media posts to promote the Living Walls for Net Zero (LNZ) project.
- Created and maintained the project webpage with up-to-date information about living walls.
- Produced a case study report with University of Plymouth researchers detailing the installation process of the living wall and its expected impact on reducing surface temperatures in summer.
- Assisted with running a public drop-in event, including a BioBlitz to gather initial observations of biodiversity on site before the living wall became established.
- Supported engaging activities during the event, such as a microscopy safari of soil and moss samples and newspaper plant pot making using the same biochar mix applied to the living wall.
3 What was the impact?
- The online social media campaign improved public awareness of the LNZ project and highlighted living walls as an urban nature-based solution.
- The BioBlitz event educated participants about living walls and biodiversity.
- The case study report enabled reflection on the project's progress and informed ideas for further investigations into the living wall system.
I have gained skills in online content creation and design which are not used in my degree, so I am grateful for the opportunity to advance them. I have also grown more confident in my communication and problem-solving abilities through both the internship and the weekly Net Zero intern sessions. The highlight of the internship was when I took part in installing the living wall by scooping soil into the pockets and planting the plants; I really enjoyed getting stuck in!
My overall experience of the internship has been really positive since I am incredibly passionate about living walls and I have gained new skills and experiences that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to within my degree.
I plan to finish the final year of my undergraduate degree and go on to work in the living wall industry as I want to make our urban environments more biodiverse and sustainable."
Amy, Net Zero Intern
We have been delighted with the outputs and learnings from this internship so far.
Amy's insights and efforts have been incredibly valuable for us, and we feel the way we've engaged the public with this project will set a precedent for how we do so in other projects in the future."
Dr Natalie Whitehead, Exeter Science Centre
Devon County Council
Sustainable Earth Institute
Net-Zero Exchange