A TEENAGER has just returned home to Pendle after working with British and Ukrainian scientists in one of the world's greatest wetlands.

Anna Watson helped compile a survey of the Pripyat Marshes in the Ukraine which was backed by a £15,000 award by the Royal Geographic Society.

Anna, of Colne Road, Trawden, enjoyed an experience of a lifetime as she took part in the in-depth study of the area's diverse biology.

The trip to the region was an adventure in itself, according to Anna, who recently completed her A-levels at Skipton Girls High School.

The Land Rover the team used repeatedly broke down on the way across Europe, including a five-hour overnight delay at the Polish-Ukrainian border.

Her base for the three-week expedition was on the shores of Lake Svitiaz, the largest natural lake in the country.

"There was no hot running water and power cuts almost every day," said 18-year-old Anna. "We got our drinking water from a nearby well and even that had to be boiled. Our nearest village was like rural England hundreds of years ago."

Among Anna's responsibilities was programming the expedition website on the Internet, outlining the many findings of the 20-strong research team of senior scientists.

Anna will use her experience when she goes to Bangor University to do a degree in ecology after taking a year out from studies. In October she will be globe-trotting again to Vietnam to carry out research into the rain forests.

The expedition's website can be accessed on http://www.biodiversity.eu.inter.net.

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