As an eight-year-old, Lyze Bell was torn between wanting to be a welder or a zookeeper – so their parents bought them a blow torch and a pet lizard.

Six thousand miles away, growing up in Hong Kong, a little girl called Wai Tung Kan also had ambitions to work with wild animals.

Today, as young adults living in the North East of England, Lyze and Wai are united in realising their childhood ambitions as the 99th and 100th conservation trainees to be employed in a pioneering scheme by Durham Wildlife Trust.

They started in their salaried roles at the same time, so they happily share the distinction of bringing up the century. 

Here are their stories…

Lyze grew up in urban London but loved visiting family members in the North East, where the region’s beautiful countryside and rugged coastline became a source of inspiration.

“It was good to get away from the noise and pollution, and I always felt more relaxed and happier when I was outdoors, getting muddy in the fresh air,” Lyze recalls.

Their beloved pet lizard back then was a bearded dragon, called Puff, and the lifelong love of animals must have glowed brighter than the interest in welding because they chose to study zoology at university.

After graduating, Lyze realised a career in practical wildlife conversation was the ideal way to combine a passion for the environment with the physical labour involved in welding.

They moved to the North East, settling in Sunderland, where they enjoy the exhilaration of surfing in the North Sea at Seaburn, and looking after an exotic menagerie of animals.

The collection includes another bearded dragon, this time called Martha, a snake, gecko, Australian tree frog, and three snails!

 While earning a living as a swimming teacher, Lyze also invested years as a volunteer in the conservation sector.

“I struggled to get a foot in the door because I lacked experience and the necessary qualifications, but I was determined not to give up.

"I applied for a traineeship with Durham Wildlife Trust for three years in a row, and kept missing out, but the persistence eventually paid off.

"Now I love coming to work every day because I'm learning so many new skills, I know I'm making a difference to the environment, working outdoors, and doing something I've always wanted to do."

As a child in Hong Kong, Wai enjoyed hiking in the mountains with her parents.

That love of the outdoors inspired her to study ecology and biodiversity at Hong Kong University before moving to England, with her parents, five years ago.

The family initially lived in London, and then Gloucester, but Wai also kept “hitting brick walls” when it came to pursuing a career in wildlife conservation.

She was about to give up but, as a last resort, she embarked on a master’s degree in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation at Bristol University, combining her studies with volunteering with organisations such as the Bristol Zoological Society.

That commitment led to her being offered a year-long placement at the Washington Wetland Centre, on Wearside, and the experience encouraged her to apply for the traineeship in conservation with Durham Wildlife Trust.

 "I was overjoyed when I was told I'd got it and, so far, it's been great," she says.

Durham Wildlife Trust has run the conservation trainee scheme for 20 years and is justifiably proud to have reached the milestone of 100 trainees.

Over 10 months, the trainees earn qualifications in habitat surveying, botanical identification, machinery use, first aid, off-road driving, and heritage skills, alongside supporting volunteer tasks in habitat management.

And the wealth of experience they gain has proved invaluable in unlocking routes into careers in the traditionally competitive conservation sector.

Of all the Durham Wildlife Trainees over the past 20 years, 83 per cent have gone on to careers in the conservation or ecology sector, including several who now serve in crucial roles in Durham Wildlife Trust.

“It has been a pleasure to watch so many trainees develop both their practical conservation and personal skills with Durham Wildlife Trust over the years,” says Mark Dinning, the Trust’s Ecology Manager.

“What we’ve seen is that the individuals who take part in the programme have an infectious passion for nature and its restoration.”

That’s certainly the case with Lyze and Wai who are both clearly loving being conservation trainees – whatever the weather.

“I’m gaining so much experience, and I particularly enjoy the problem-solving aspect of it,” says Lyze, speaking on a cold and rainy day at the Low Barns Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre, a mile or so down the hill from Witton-le-Wear.

"After a while, you don't notice the weather – it's just part of working outdoors."

Wai is just as enthusiastic: "We've had so much support from colleagues in the Trust, but you also learn so much from the volunteers, who have so much more experience than us," she adds.

"It's really hard to get a job in conservation, so the Durham Wildlife Trust trainee scheme is invaluable – it's helped so many people into the industry."

Asked what they've enjoyed most so far, Lyze and Wai are both quick to cite learning to work with chainsaws. This is 'chainsaw season' because high winds affect lots of trees at this time of year, and making them safe is one of the trust's many responsibilities.

"Lots of our sites have public access, so the emphasis has to be on the safety of visitors. It's also important to get the tree work done before the bird breeding season," explains Mary-Anne Rielly, the Trust's Conservation Volunteer Coordinator, who started as a trainee three years ago.

The Trust aims to recruit four trainees a year, but it depends on funding, and it's been restricted to two this year.

The hope is that additional funding can be secured to add more trainees later in the year.

"The training scheme provides jobs and retains high-level skills in the North East, so we're always grateful for funding that allows us to create these opportunities," says Jim Cokill, Director of Durham Wildlife Trust.

For Lyze and Wai, who share the honour of being the trust's 100th trainee, it's just the beginning.

They may have grown up thousands of miles apart, but they've both found fulfilment in the countryside of North East England.