After four previous stays on the island, today I finally got around to doing an introductory talk to visitors.  Each group of visitors (arriving on either the 10am or 12pm boat each day) is given a brief introduction to the island by either Greg or Lisa (the Island’s permanent residents) or Lizzie or Kate (6-month intern and 3-month summer volunteer) but today I thought I’d try my hand at it.  The talk gives an explanation of how the island was bought by the RSPB, what the facilities are, where the walking trails go, and what wildlife can be seen and where.  The talk also gives a bit of health & safety advice and reminds visitors what time the last boat leaves.

I was all ready to do the talk for the first boat this morning only for it to be carrying just one visitor, so I talked him through the trail guide rather than giving the full-blown presentation (it would have been a bit odd!).  However, there were 25 visitors on the second boat at noon, so I gave it a proper go.

I was slightly taken aback to be faced by a group mostly made up of teenagers (on a creative writing trip from Marlborough College), but I think it went okay and I didn’t make anything up – and most important of all, they were all turned up for the last boat back across Ramsey Sound at 4pm.