Barclay Bower has joined the Causeway Coast team for eight weeks through a placement scheme
for Leadership for Sustainable Development Masters, Gibson institute, Queen’s University, Belfast.
The current Covid-19 restrictions mean the team and Barclay are all working from their own homes and linking up via virtual meetings.
Q: Barclay, where are you from and tell us a little about your current studies?
A: I was born in Devon, after moving around a bit my family are now settled in Hampshire. I have always had a passion for history and heritage and I studied for a History BA at Bath Spa University. Following this I choose to undertake the Leadership in Sustainable Development Master’s at Queen’s University Belfast. The pandemic focused my thinking over this last year and I decided to take on the challenge of this Masters. I now live in Belfast with my girlfriend.
Q : Why is sustainability so important to you?
A: Like so many sustainability has always been something at the back of my mind but through the Masters I am realising it is a mindset and not just ‘going green’. I understand much better how policy changes are needed to help the environment and community and think I would like to get involved in the policy side of things. Many resources are finite and collectively we need to rethink how we use them to support a fair way of living.
Q: What will you do during your placement?
A: I have a few tasks during my placement. The main focus is a research paper looking at the Économusée businesses sustainability and recommending how they can share this message better with the public. I am gathering information on community groups to support the North Antrim Geopark Working Groups research.
My final key task is helping CCGHT present their online literature in flipbooks to make it easier for everyone to access and read.
Q: Where is the first place you will visit in the CCGHT area when Covid-19 lockdown restrictions lift?
A: The Giants Causeway. Once things are better I can’t wait to take a nice long walk along the coast with my girlfriend to see it!
