Biodiversity Team Volunteering Opportunities
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Itchen Navigation Volunteer Opportunities
Education volunteering at the Centres
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. The opportunities are based at our HQ and centres. Volunteering opportunities on Reserves and elsewhere in the two counties can be found by clicking the buttons on the left.
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
Biodiversity Team Volunteering Opportunities
The Biodiversity Team aims to inspire, influence and inform conservation work. We are based at Beechcroft house but our work is county-wide. Volunteering opportunities within the team include:
WILD LINE - assist with the information service provided by the Trust, which aims to encourage people to become more involved with wildlife.
TRUST LIBRARY – help catalogue and organise wildlife publications.
RESEARCH PROJECTS for species and habitats – help with research and wildlife survey.
SPECIES & HABITAT DATA ENTRY on databases and GIS – learn to use our information management systems to catalogue and map important wildlife data.
RECORD WILDLIFE – learn how and where to see wildlife in Hampshire by joining the Trust's Species Groups, which include the Flora Group, the Reptile & Amphibian Group and the Mammal Group.
Ideally Biodiversity Team volunteers will have a background in biology or geography and an enthusiasm for wildlife. For office based tasked, IT literacy and data entry experience is important but some training can be provided. Times and days are flexible but please get in touch to check which opportunities are available and to find out more.
INPUTTING LANDOWNER ADDRESSES FOR THE WLMP CONSULTATION AND NEWSLETTER DISTRIBUTION – to input contacts for the Water Level Management Plan consultation phases 1-4 into an Access database.
BEECHCROFT GARDEN – join the team to help look after our wildlife garden.
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WILDLIFE DIARY OF EVENTS EDITOR – The Trust’s Wildlife Diary goes out three times a year to Trust members and members of the public and producing the diary is only possible with help from volunteers.
We require someone to edit the Trust's diary of events, working closely with the Marketing Officer to compile details of all the events into a word document following a pre-determined format, communicating with staff and volunteers to resolve any queries regarding submissions, assist with proof reading designers proofs and submit events to external media.
A regular weekly or fortnightly commitment is required. A full day commitment is not necessary and the hours worked can be flexible between 9 and 5, Monday to Friday.
Being comfortable using a computer is important; other than that, no specific skills are needed and on-the-job training is offered.The hours of work fit particularly well around the school day and do not clash with school holidays.
E-IMAGE LIBRARY ASSISTANT - to assist with the maintenance and restructuring of the Trust's e-image library. We require someone to reorganise the existing e-image library by improving categories, removing bad quality images and improving labelling, as well as catalogue new additions and identify gaps where new images should be sourced.
A regular weekly commitment would be desirable, with a half day being ideal.
Experience in dealing with and maintaining computer based information/filing systems will be helpful as well as some knowledge of wildlife species in order to name images and file them into the correct folders (however advice from staff and a full range of ID books is available).
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Itchen Navigation Volunteer Opportunities
PUBLIC TRANSPORT GUIDE EDITOR - we require someone who would be interested in researching bus and train timetables for travelling to and from the Itchen Navigation and surrounding areas. The information will be published on the Itchen Navigation web pages. Need to be a confident internet user. Work can be carried out from home or at the Trust office. Flexible hours possible. For further details please contact Polly Whyte on 01489 774400 or pollyw@hwt.org.uk
PRESENTATIONS AND TALKS - volunteers required to give presentations about the Itchen Navigation, including its history and wildlife. Talks tend to be in the evenings. Need to be a confident public speaker with an interest in the Itchen Navigation. For further details please contact Polly Whyte on 01489 774400 or pollyw@hwt.org.uk
Education Volunteering at the centres
Our work with schools, groups, adults and children work has one over-arching aim - achieving an environment that is richer in wildlife for everyone to enjoy. A large amount of the education work we do is done through our centres at Testwood Lakes, Blashford Lakes and Swanwick Lakes.
Volunteers play a vital role in assisting the Trust in the delivery of education and we are always keen to hear from people who would like to get involved. The role is varied and interesting and can involve…
- Assisting with educational activities for school and youth groups
- Helping with educational activities as part of the centres’ regular contribution to the Trust’s public events programme
- Help develop and maintain educational resources and equipment
- There is also the possibility of leading environmental education activities independently, as part of the planned programme of activities
If this sounds like fun, then we’d love to hear from you. Please complete and return a volunteer enquiry form.
For more information contact the Volunteering Development Manager, Donna Birch on tel 01489 774442, or email donnab@hwt.org.uk
