Meet the EGCP Interns
Charlotte Tomlinson
Mariia Topol
George Trantham
Charlotte Tomlinson is a 2024 graduate from SRUC with a BSc(Hons) degree in Wildlife and Conservation Management. She is a keen birder and bird ringer, particularly interested in seabird ecology. She aims to bring her passion for research and the coastal/marine environment to EGCP, highlighting the rich biodiversity that the East Coast supports.
Studying Mathematics and Physics at the University of Aberdeen. Was on Monitoring, Mapping and Modelling Coastal Erosion of Golf Courses: Ground Control for Drone Image Acquisition QUADRAT research placement under the supervision of David R. Green.
Keen on hiking and bouldering.
I'm George, a fourth-year Ecology student at the University of Aberdeen, originally hailing from Southeast England. I made the decision to move to Aberdeen as a mature student, driven by my passion for understanding the intricate relationships between humans, animals, and their environments - especially within marine ecosystems.
Cathryn Lovie
Adam Barker
Cathryn is one of the EGCP’s summer interns, working on the ‘State of the East Grampian Coast’ project. Last year she worked on the 2023 beach litter survey and report, assessing the condition of East Grampian beaches.
She is a University of St Andrews student, studying Environmental Science and Geography. As of September 2024, she will have started 3rd year, and by 2026 will graduate with a BSc. Physical Geography has always been her favourite subject, and thus the rugged, geologically fascinating coastline of St Andrews seemed like the perfect place to further that passion.
She grew up in the leafy suburbs of Aberdeen, so has always been near both forests and coast. With the beautiful Cairngorms nearby, it would have been difficult not to develop a love for all things natural. She has spent time volunteering with the EGCP and Aberdeen City Council Rangers, experiences that have solidified her pursuit of a career working with nature.
Originally from South Yorkshire, I grew up as an active individual thriving in the outdoors. At 18, I began working as an apprentice outdoor activity instructor in the heart of the Peak District National Park. This role led me to coach and instruct activities such as stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), kayaking, canoeing, and camping. My work took me across the globe to places like China and Hong Kong, where I engaged with diverse clientele from various cultures, faiths, and organizations. Through these activities, I developed a deep sense of environmental stewardship, particularly regarding the oceans. The COVID-19 pandemic brought my work in mainland China to a halt, necessitating my return to the UK. With no degree or higher education to rely on, I decided to take control of my career by becoming a freelance outdoor instructor. Simultaneously, I enrolled at the University of Aberdeen.
Ten years after starting as an apprentice, I now have a solid clientele of businesses seeking my instructor services and I am about to begin my fourth year of a BSc in Marine Biology. In 2023, I added a Divemaster internship to my repertoire of skills, further developing myself professionally. This, alongside my degree, has helped me better understand the dynamics of our natural environments and how humans interact with them. My aim is to leverage my past and present experiences and skills to highlight information regarding the coastal environment within the North East Scotland Marine Region. I plan to achieve this through surveying, data collection, and analysis, enabling policymakers and the general public to make informed decisions when visiting and developing the region.