It’s been a whirlwind since joining SAERI, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being thrown into such a wide range of meaningful projects.
Since starting the role, I’ve had the opportunity to reestablish global access for the Falkland Islands Data Portal using a reverse proxy on the server, and develop a proof-of-concept application to help visualise AED locations across the islands. I’ve also worked on an internal Asset Management System and been developing training and resources for the new NIMPA+ Data Portal, designed to help manage marine spatial data across the NIMPA region.
Falkland Islands Data Portal
Along the way, I’ve supported data requests from partners like FIDC to Esri, created weather station infographics, including some snazzy rose diagrams, picked up new Linux skills, and even got to join in with some fun by producing a GIS-based shipwreck treasure map to celebrate World Oceans Day. With work ranging from the NIMPA+ portal to Darwin Plus projects in St Helena and data requests from the Swiss World Atlas, it feels like I’m having a global impact (albeit a small one), even though I’ve moved to such a remote destination.
Many of these tasks are things I’ve been doing for the first time, and I’m learning to meet the unknown not with hesitation, but with curiosity, treating each challenge as an opportunity to grow, adapt, and contribute. It’s been busy, varied, and often a little outside my comfort zone, but always rewarding.
In the midst of it all, I’ve managed to keep up a regular running routine, which has been vital for my personal wellbeing. It’s helped me stay grounded, focused, and ready to quite literally keep hitting the ground running; both on the trails and in the projects still to come.
