As part of Pride Month & the evolving EDI [Equality, diversity & inclusion] Journey of The Wildlife Trust would like to tell you more about myself & my experiences as a gay man working for The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales.

I am Mark Hodgson the Visitor Centre Manager at The Welsh Wildlife Centre in Cilgerran this is my usual working base but I do also spend time at our Parc Slip Visitor Centre too.

I grew up in rural Shropshire, very rural Shropshire! My parents had a house built in a disused sandstone quarry. I grew up surrounded by wildlife, foxes & badgers being resident in our garden, polecats outside the door, adders sunning themselves on rocky outcrops. Green, lesser spotted & greater spotted woodpeckers nesting in the garden. Buzzards swooping down to investigate us when playing on the lawn. Pipistrelle & long eared bats resident in the loft. Frogs, toads & newts also in abundance. 

Growing up in such a rural community was not always the easiest thing to do but I did not ever want to move to a large city as I would have missed my rustic surroundings too much as I love being around nature & spending time in the great outdoors. By doing so & being visible I hope that I may have helped others from the LGBTQ+ community to feel more at ease.

I have an artistic back ground & thanks to my liberal parents was able to study Ceramics at college & later Textile design. School was not a happy place for me as I never would or could hide my sexuality, but surviving this negative experience along with my parents belief in me has given me pride in who I am.

After leaving college I ran my own successful Furniture business for many years, when this ended I sold up & moved to West Wales attracted by the beautiful beaches & the diversity of wildlife.

My employment with The Trust happened almost by accident, my partner Gareth the Head Chef  was struggling for staff so I volunteered to help him in the café on a regular basis, sometimes it just being he & I running the café. Over almost 15 years my skills have been recognised by The Trust & I now find myself Visitor Centre Manger of The Welsh Wildlife Centre.

Having previously  always worked for myself, with my late Father running several of his own companies I did not know what it was like to be employed or be an employee. I did not quite know what to expect from the situation, The Wildlife Trust has always allowed me to be myself & even more important my best self, never having to hide my relationship of 28 years or be false in any way.

I have always encouraged my team to be open & honest with me as I am with them, this has led to an amazingly strong team at The Visitor Centre which has seen us through some tough times including the impact of Covid 19 & our recovery from it as a visitor attraction.

My aim along with the team is to make the Welsh Wildlife Centre as inclusive as possible to visitors, volunteers & future staff members. If we achieve this then both my personal goals & those of The Trust have been met.

The Welsh Wildlife Centre is truly a wonderful place to work & we look forward to welcoming you all soon.