North of Hampshire
Itchen Navigation
Elsewhere in the two counties
There are so many ways to get involved both by using your existing abilities and experience or learning new skills, all carried out at a variety of locations to suit the time you have available. Reserve Work Parties and volunteering at our HQ or centres appear elsewhere on the site. The volunteer opportunities in the rest of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are included here - divided into the North of the county, the Itchen Navigation and elsewhere.
Full details of our programme of wildlife reserve work parties, guided walks and interesting talks is available from our Diary of Events. In addition a variety of volunteer projects are being highlighted all the time. We depend on volunteer effort to achieve our aims – join in and make it all happen.
Donna Birch, Volunteering Development Manager
DonnaB@hwt.org.uk or 01489 774442
North of Hampshire
FENCE FIXER - to assist the Grazing for Wildlife Project on ensuring the sites remain stock proof for the animals that are helping to improve the reserves for wildlife. This will include regularly checking the fence lines (on foot or bicycle) to make sure they are all intact and repairing any breaks. Tools, materials and training provided.
A record of when you have checked the fences and any repairs made, will need to be kept. You will need to be happy to work on your own in various weather and ground conditions. You will need to be physically able to walk reasonable distances around the perimeter of the reserves. You will need to be able to work safely on your own and follow simple heath and safety guidelines in order to carry out the practical works.
Days of the week/times totally flexible, although approximately 5 hours a week is ideal.
OUTDOOR ASSISTANT TO NORTH EAST RESERVES OFFICER - assisting Reserves Officer with site visits to plan work, liaise with contractors, practical estate management such as mending fences, cutting scrub and maintaining rights of way, speaking to visitors and neighbours, biological surveying and monitoring, and assisting with guided walks and conservation work parties. Required approximately one day a fortnight building to one day a week.
EAST HAMPSHIRE GRAZING PROJECT. Eagle eyed volunteers needed to help us keep an eye on our growing herds of livestock grazing across the area. Do you walk, cycle or horseride regularly in the area? If so you could join our valuable team of ‘lookers’ and ‘fence fixers’ who act as the eyes and ears on the ground to keep track of the health and wellbeing of livestock grazing our important heathlands. Full training and equipment is given to new recruits. Sites in and around Liphook, Longmoor, Greatham and Selborne including Longmoor Camp, Weavers Down Bog and Noar Hill. Please contact Elliott Fairs, Grazing Project & Reserves Officer, for more information or to get involved on 01256 381190 or email elliottf@hwt.org.uk
FLEET (AND AROUND) RESERVES TEAM. Would you like to lend a hand? Then why not join this friendly group and help us extend our regular volunteer team in the area. Regular work parties meet on the third Sunday of every month from 10.30am until about 3pm. We can offer a wide range of practical conservation tasks (including scrub clearance, cutting meadows, fencing, path and bridge building and livestock checking) on sites in Fleet, Cove, Church Crookham and Ewshot. Please contact Laura Fairs, Grazing Project & Reserves Officer, for more information or to get involved on 01256 381190 or email lauraf@hwt.org.uk
NORTH HAMPSHIRE GRAZING PROJECT. Eagle eyed volunteers needed to help us keep an eye on our growing herds of livestock grazing across the area. Do you walk, cycle or horseride regularly in the area? If so you could join our valuable team of ‘lookers’ and ‘fence fixers’ who act as the eyes and ears on the ground to keep track of the health and wellbeing of livestock grazing our important heathlands. Full training and equipment is given to new recruits. Sites in Fleet, Cove, Church Crookham, Upper Hale, Ewshot, and Aldershot including Ancells Farm, Foxlease Meadows, Whitehouse Meadow, Pondtail, Velmead Common, Caesar’s Camp and Long Valley. Please contact Laura Fairs, Grazing Project & Reserves Officer, for more information or to get involved on 01256 381190 or email lauraf@hwt.org.uk
NOAR HILL , near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 324). This friendly group welcomes new members to help with scrub control work, fencing and more on this excellent chalk grassland site. Work parties meet regularly on the second Sunday of the month from 10am-2pm. Please ensure you call on the week leading up to the volunteer day to enable us to cater for the numbers expected. We’re also looking for bright sparks to help move the fence on a monthly basis. It only takes 1 day a month but keeps the grazing running smoothly. Full training will be given. For further details of the work parties, please contact Elliott Fairs on 01256 381190 or elliottf@hwt.org.uk .
NOAR HILL WARDEN, near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 324). The Trust is currently running a ‘volunteer warden’ scheme at Noar Hill at weekends and bank holidays from April to September 2008. The wardens are there to present a friendly face to visitors, answer their questions and enrich their experience of the reserve by interpreting what can be seen around them. They are not expected to be experts, and will be provided with all the information and training they require prior to arriving on site. Wardening times can be flexible to fit in with your requirements. So if you want to learn more about this important chalk downland site, enjoy the beautiful views and meet like-minded people, why not consider becoming a warden? Please contact Oliver Hine on 01256 381190 or email oliverh@hwt.org.uk .
Itchen Navigation Volunteer Opportunities
LOCK PRESERVATION - historical preservation work including some vegetation clearance, re-pointing and brick work at locks on the Itchen Navigation. Training will be given. Required for anything up to 20 days work from September to November. For further details please contact Polly Whyte on 01489 774400 or pollyw@hwt.org.uk
ITCHEN NAVIGATION HABITAT ENHANCEMENT – Scrub management and litter clearance to give an area on the Itchen Navigation a much needed make over. Required for anything up to 20 days works this autumn. For further details please contact Polly Whyte on 01489 774400 or pollyw@hwt.org.uk
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Elsewhere in the two counties
ST CATHERINE'S HILL WARDEN - Winchester. We need help to keep an eye on our Shetland sheep and assist visitors to this scenic chalk grassland reserve overlooking Winchester. If you live close by and can spare a few hours each week, contact Mike Allen on 01489 774439 or email michaela@hwt.org.uk for further details. No previous experience is necessary, as all necessary training will be given.
ISLE OF WIGHT - We work on the Island through Wight Wildlife, a partnership with the Isle of Wight Natural History Society and the Wight Nature Fund. The Trust manages 6 wildlife sites with a wide range of volunteer opportunities on them including survey work, estate work, practical habitat management and checking on livestock. Contact: Chris Archbold, Countryside Officer, 2 High St, Newport or 01983 533180.
MARINE - Qualified scuba divers for underwater surveys required for Seasearch programme. Also, assistance with shoreline surveys (Shoresearch) required - some knowledge useful. Administrative support also required; a general interest in marine issues in Hampshire and Isle of Wight is desirable.
ROYDON WOODS – We are looking for volunteers who have woodwork skills and who would like to get involved in a variety of activities in Roydon Woods. Tasks include fence/gate making. Days and times are flexible so please call for more details.
SOUTH EAST OTTERS AND RIVERS PROJECT - Otter 'spraint' collection – early morning visits to pre-determined sites on Hampshire’s chalk rivers to find and collect suitable ‘spraint’ (Otter Droppings).
HISTORY PROJECTS - Dockens Water - help us plot the history of this Forest stream that runs through our Blashford Lakes Wildlife Site.
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