Good luck to Pembrokeshire’s Abigail Wood - who looks after penguins at Folly Farm as she prepares to challenge for the ‘Miss Earth Wales’ title at the event’s final later this month.

Abigail from Tavernspite/Rhos, achieved her dream job when she joined the keepers at local attraction Folly Farm as a seasonal penguin keeper.

She recently finished her Masters qualification in ‘Environmental Biology: Conservation and Resource Management’ at Swansea University.

‘Miss Earth Wales’ is the Welsh entry to the ‘Miss Earth Pageant’ which is an environmental event channelling the beauty pageant entertainment industry as an effective tool to promote awareness.

Principles align very much with Folly Farm itself who are passionate about conservation and sustainability and being environmentally conscious. The attraction takes part in 36 European endangered breeding programmes and believes education is key to conservation.

This is something Abigail herself believes and as part of her advocacy has penned a children’s book ‘Wild About Nature’ which has been published to aid knowledge and education of nature.

“It is crucial that the upcoming generation recognises the implications of their actions on the surrounding ecosystems,” she remarked.

“Whether big or small, everyone must play a part in ensuring that the UK’s rich wildlife thrives for countless years to come. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work at Folly Farm whose foundations are conservation, sustainability and community.”

The ‘Miss Earth Wales’ final is on May 25 in Barry and Abigail hopes to achieve success as she did in 2023 when she became the first ever ‘Miss Eco Pageants UK’.

The success and future success of Pembrokeshire’s very own at an international pageant stands testament to the power of determination, education, and a genuine concern for the environment.

With young advocates like Abigail, the future of UK’s wildlife and conservation efforts indeed looks promising.