Staff Interview with Tessa Dawson

What inspired you to work for Coral Cay Conservation?

I really enjoyed the team atmosphere when I had interned for CCC in the past and found CCC's approach to be mindful and effective. I knew my skills in customer service would stand me in good stead and I love the scientific/academic atmosphere. It also feels good to work for an organisation that is tackling the global biodiversity crisis.

Describe a typical day at work.

Very changeable! There are always volunteer emails and administration to keep me busy but this is interspersed with lots of other things - Social media posts, processing PADI courses, interviewing staff, administrating accounts, handling invoices, ordering kit, tackling on-site operations challenges, chatting to potential new volunteers.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I think probably conversing with potential volunteers and helping volunteers get ready to go out to site. It's really cool to be able to be the go to person for volunteers' questions. To then be able to hear how well they do on site and watch them develop is a treat.

How do you use your education and international background in your current role?

For me I think the most valuable asset has been having a background in field research. It means that I better understand the joys and challenges of working and living on a project site and am able to communicate those effectively to volunteers. Although I generally don't use my scientific background much in my daily role it is incredibly useful when assisting my colleagues in proofreading reports, and when writing some of our more formal social media posts.

What makes Coral Cay Conservation easy to market to potential participants?

We are blessed with an incredible house reef that those who join us are able to learn on. Our permanent site in the Philippines is meters from the Napantao Fish Sanctuary. A coral reef with a very high biodiversity, from the smallest nudibranch to the largest fish of the ocean, the whale shark, Sogod Bay has it all.

What are some current projects you are working on?

We are currently based in Southern Leyte in the Philippines. We are incredibly lucky to work here as the Filipino people are very supportive of the sustainable use of their marine resources. The focus of our survey teams (composed of staff, volunteers and local scholars) is analysing whether the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that we have assisted in establishing in past years are working effectively. By collecting this information we can then be proactive in fixing any issues and evaluating what makes an MPA succeed.

What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?

Always leave plenty of time for travel, makes traveling so much more relaxed when you can just sit back and enjoy the view! I think also if you are staying somewhere over Christmas book hotels in advance. I made this mistake in Australia and ended up having to scramble for somewhere to stay when costs were much higher than they would have been if I'd booked in advance.

Why should someone choose Coral Cay Conservation over competitors?

CCC was established with the understanding that citizen science (specially trained international volunteers) could collect thorough and effective data, this continues to lie at the heart of our projects. We ensure that the volunteers that join us receive the training that allows them to actively contribute to effective conservation projects. Working hand in hand with local communities that have invited us to work with them for the common goal of sustainably managed marine resources.

Our goal is to eventually make ourselves redundant by training local community members to undertake the work that we do in-country. A key part of this is achieved via our Scholarship Programme. Each volunteer fee includes a donation to this programme, giving locals the opportunity to join CCC for free and gain skills, training, and certifications.

What do you hope participants take away from your programs?

Through our training programme we teach those who join us about the importance of coral reefs and their sustainable management, and they join us in our outreach sessions with our local community. We hope that by the time participants leave us they are ethical divers and conservation advocates, ready to spread the word about what they have learned and take action in their own lives to reduce their impact on the environment.

Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?

When I was in school, I thought that I had a varied friend group, it's only when I went to university and then later when I traveled that I realised how much in a bubble I really was. Meeting people from different cultures with different backgrounds, home lives, social norms, etc. widens your understanding of people as a whole. It opens your eyes to the differing realities of peoples' lives and certainly made me more understanding and empathetic.

Many of my past trips have been for research and work purposes, which often involves living in fairly rural basic conditions. It definitely makes you appreciate what you have when you spend months without electricity or running water and you can't help but take this home with you, ensuring that you are less wasteful and more thankful in the future.

What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?

Do it, have fun, and try to learn something along the way! Research the country so that you are able to settle in more quickly, make sure to at least learn hello, goodbye, and thank you, and maybe also 'one beer please.’

If you are going to join an organisation and volunteer in-country, do your homework. Are they members of ABTOT or ATOL? Are they affiliated with respected organisations? If they are doing research, do they produce scientific reports?

What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?

More and more I am receiving requests from people asking to join us for free or at a reduced cost. We offer free placements to Filipinos as part of our capacity building work in the country but it's just not possible to extend this further. It's so generous that people want to give their time by assisting us with our work but it can be challenging to explain the very real financial requirements of an effective conservation project.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

Travel that positively impacts the traveller and the local people and the environment for the long term, either during the travel itself or afterward. I think if travel has impacted our outlook for the better then we can say it was meaningful. As long as we then make an effort to take those lessons learned and take action.