Mike Alexander
Accessibility & Inclusivity on Skomer Island
We are committed to making Skomer Island as inclusive as we can. We want as many people as possible to be able to experience the wonders of our wildlife-packed island.
We are committed to The Wildlife Trusts’ 5 year plan to become inclusive of people from all backgrounds, identities and abilities. We are working to better reflect the diversity of society by putting wildlife at the heart of modern life for all communities. Read on to find out how we're working to address Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on Skomer Island.
Gender Expression
We are passionate about ensuring everyone who visits Skomer can be themselves. All our long-term and short-term volunteers are welcome to use pronoun badges that we provide. We address all staff, volunteers and visitors to the island with the correct pronouns. Our staff and long-term volunteers are also welcome to use Progress Pride badges which we provide. Find out more about pronouns here.
All our toilet and bathroom facilities, for both day visitors and overnight guests, are gender-neutral.
Welsh Language
We work to champion the Welsh language on Skomer Island. We work in partnership with Mari Elin and Gruffydd Jones to run Guided Welsh Learner Walks throughout the year. These events are a great opportunity to practice your Welsh and learn the names of wildlife along the way. Find out more about our Welsh wildlife walks here.
Our island team are Welsh learners and incorporate Welsh into the welcome talk. Look out for their learner pins when you visit, and please do strike up a conversation with them.
Young People
We are passionate about diversifying the conservation sector. We are proud to work with a range of organisations to achieve this and build a sustained relationship between the island and young people. Since 2022, we have been working with Black2Nature. They are an organisation dedicated to connecting Visibly Minority Ethnic young people with nature. As part of this, in 2023 we ran a 3-day residential on the island.
Every year, we run a highly discounted Young Birders Week. This event provides young naturalists the opportunity to gain valuable experience in conservation and meet like-minded people.
We also work with DofE to provide volunteering opportunities for Bronze, Silver and Gold participants, with emphasis given to local participants who would not otherwise be able to afford to visit.
If your organisation would like to collaborate with us, please get in touch with our Visitor Officer by emailing skomer.vo@welshwildlife.org.
We work hard to make our volunteering opportunities accessible for all young people. Our short-term volunteering has a bursary available for those unable to afford the volunteering fee.
Our long-term volunteers are provided with travel and parking expenses, are provided with kit and a training budget. There is also bursary available to long-term volunteers on completion of a report or project on Skomer by the Friends of Skokholm and Skomer.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing
From 2024, we will have a printout version of our welcome talk available on arrival on the island. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can now book hostel visits over email rather than the phone. For guests staying in our hostel, we have Deafguards available. Find out about Stephan’s Skomer experience in British Sign Language in the video below.
Stephen's Skomer Experience: Celebrating International Sign Language Day - © WTSWW
Blind and Partially Sighted
As the island is home to millions of seabirds, we unfortunately can’t allow dogs on the island, even guide dogs. If you are blind or partially sighted, there is the option to be chaperoned around the island by a member of staff if organised in advance. Please get in touch with our Visitor Officer, skomer.vo@welshwildlife.org, in advance of your visit to discuss this.
Physical Accessibility
Whilst we take every care to make Skomer as physically accessible as possible, there are some steep and rough paths. The jetty at Martin's Haven is a little steep to get on to, so please allow plenty of time for this. Once on the island, there are 87 steps and thin paths around the island. We regret that this makes it impossible for wheelchair users to visit. We cannot offer lifts to the Farm in an island vehicle to day visitors. Lifts are available for hostel guests upon arrival to the island but please do ask in advance.
We appreciate that many of our visitors will need a little longer to get up the steps to the welcome point and can adjust our welcome talks accordingly – giving separate talks to those needing a more time is always an option. For those who are pregnant or need to stop more frequently, we can advise on places to rest and take shelter.
If you are worried about mobility or fitness, a boat trip around the island is an excellent alternative to a day trip or overnight stay. You can find out more about these trips here.
Other Adjustments
If you or a person in your group require an adjustment to make your time with us more enjoyable, please do contact our Skomer Island Visitor Officer, skomer.vo@welshwildlife.org. We look forward to seeing you on Skomer Island soon.
Feedback & Questions
We always welcome suggestions of how we can make Skomer more accessible. Please contact our Skomer Island Visitor Officer, skomer.vo@welshwildlife.org, with your questions or feedback.