Pros
You get to spend parts of the working day outside and at interesting sites in the local area. Accommodation is provided for a small charge. You get a discount at Cotswold Outdoors.
Cons
There is little to non active or credible research done at any of the centres and a lack of funding to implement any. If you are a biology or environmental science student who enjoys research, this can be frustrating and will severely limit your options if you have to complete an academic project during your placement year. The pay is very low compared to the hours worked. You usually live on site which limits your privacy and can make it hard to establish a divide between work and days off. From what I observed at the centre I worked at and at others, higher education placements or education assistants became dogs bodies for the work others at the centre did not want to do. It is not degree level work. If I had the option to re-do my placement year, I would not return here.