Residential Volunteer Internship placement information

Transcription

1 Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) Residential Volunteer Internship placement information Warden, Northern England Overall purpose of the role To deliver nature conservation on the ground as part of the team carrying out the day-to-day management of the reserve, and ensuring that it is maintained to the high standard expected of RSPB. In this role you will gain: Excellent practical experience of working on a nature reserve and managing different habitats for wildlife. Free accommodation in stunning surroundings on, or close to the reserve giving you out of hour s access to nature. An insider knowledge of the RSPB and conservation issues and chance to network and explore possible career paths. Training and qualifications in the use of machinery and power tools such as brushcutter, chainsaw etc as appropriate to the reserve. Experience of working in a team and supervising other volunteers.

2 Main duties Assisting the team to carry out the weekly work programme of habitat management and estate work which may include: summer and winter reed management programmes scrub clearance ditch management and water level management maintaining fences, gates, stiles, paths, bridges and boardwalks management of artificial islands and scrapes stock management Collecting and collating biological and chemical records: taking part in regular counts and census work of breeding, wintering and passage wildfowl and waders monitoring of non-avian species, eg moth trapping, butterfly census monitoring water quality general avian monitoring maintain wildlife records Assisting as part of the team in reserve upkeep, day to day management and admin tasks such as: Preparing reports and articles for reserve newsletters as required Entering work logs into the Conservation Management System Entering wildlife data into Merlin Organising the weekly volunteer work programme and supervising day volunteers Carrying out trail safety audits Entering new volunteer details onto the Volunteer Management System (VMS) Maintaining visitor facilities on a rota basis including basic cleaning of visitor reception area and toilets Assisting with Quality Assurance checks to maintain high standards of facilities Other occasional duties: Assisting with reserve events when required Managing small projects, including helping to write contracts

3 Canada geese over reedbed by Ben Hall Skills & attributes required Essential: Enthusiasm for the role An interest in conservation and natural history Ability to work as part of a team Ability to work on own initiative A full driving licence is also required for this role as training could include tractor or 4x4, depending on the location Desirable: Some previous experience of practical work Volunteering experience Development This scheme is designed to give you the training and experience needed for a career in conservation. We will assist your personal development and progression towards a conservation career, but it is also important that you take advantage of the opportunities that will arise during the placement to learn new skills, gain new experiences and increase your conservation knowledge. Your manager will provide a structure to your development in the form of an Aims and Objectives document, there will be regular meetings to check your progress, an initial three week trial period and a six month review. Location and accommodation Free accommodation in a shared house either on, or close to the reserve will be provided with this role. Heating and electricity bills are included. You will need to be able to provide your own food and living costs. The following sites are offering an internship; RSPB Fairburn Ings (Aire Valley), near Castleford, West Yorkshire We have two reserves in the Aire Valley: Fairburn Ings and St Aidan s. Both are former colliery sites which have been restored into fantastic places for people to experience wildlife. The reserves are an important part of the Aire Valley washland, comprising a complex of wetland habitats such open water with islands, wet grassland, reedbeds and wet woodland. They are important for wildfowl and waders, and are home to breeding bitterns, avocets, little

4 Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) egrets, warblers and farmland birds. Other wildlife includes butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and a range of mammals including harvest mice. Fairburn is a busy, family-orientated reserve, welcoming 60,000 visitors a year. We have a busy visitor centre and shop, five hides and three pond-dipping platforms, offering activities for regular school groups and families. St. Aidan s is not yet a full RSPB site but we manage the habitat there, whilst local people enjoy the 8 miles of public footpaths around the reserve. Accommodation at Aire Valley reserves The accommodation is in a semi-detached house in Fairburn village, a two minute walk from the reserve, and a mile from the visitor centre and office. It consists of a lounge, kitchen, shower room and toilet, and three single bedrooms. There is a washing machine, fridge/freezer, microwave, television and dvd player. The house is shared with the visitor experience intern, as well as short-term volunteers throughout the year. The nearest shops are three miles away in Kippax, but use of a vehicle for shopping and lifts to/from the station can be arranged. There are two pubs in Fairburn village and the Xscape entertainment complex including shops, restaurants, cinema and dry ski slope, is six miles away. RSPB Leighton Moss and Morecambe Bay, near Carnforth, Lancashire Leighton Moss is the largest reedbed in north-west England, and home to some really special birds such as breeding bitterns, bearded tits and marsh harriers. You might see otters and deer, not to mention butterflies aplenty! Morecambe Bay is host to nationally and internationally important populations of waders and wildfowl, making it a spectacular place to hone survey skills. The reserve is extremely busy, with over 120,000 visitors per year. There is a large visitor centre which houses a shop, café and education department, seven wildlife watching hides and a Sky Tower! Accommodation at Leighton Moss The volunteer accommodation is a separate house attached to the reserve visitor centre. It consists of a lounge, kitchen, shower room and toilet and two bedrooms. Each bedroom contains two single beds so you may be sharing the room with someone of the same sex. There are usually two to four residential volunteers in any given week. There is a washing machine, microwave, iron, fridge/freezer, dvd player and television. The nearest corner shop is less than two miles away as are the post office, banking facilities and pub. Carnforth Town, with a wider range of facilities, is just six minutes away on the train. Lancaster is twenty

5 Kaleez Zibe (rspb-images.com) minutes away on the train, where there are most big stores and a cinema. Silverdale railway station is a two minute walk from the reserve. RSPB Saltholme, near Middlesbrough Nestled in the Tees Valley, surrounded by many industrial neighbours, Saltholme offers a dramatic landscape and stunning wildlife. Hundreds of pairs of common terns breed on cockleshell islands in the summer and thousands of wildfowl spend the winter here. With habitats such as reedbeds, wet grassland, open pools and scrapes, Saltholme attracts lapwings, water voles, golden plovers, brown hares and sand martins. A stunning visitor centre receives 70,000 visitors each year, and has a café, large shop and a popular education scheme. A busy events programme runs year-round with events from sunset safari s, binocular & telescope events and yarn bombing to spooky Halloween twilight walks, and an adventure play area is popular with families. In addition to the main reserve, there are several satellite sites nearby, including Greatham Creek which gives stunning views of the harbour seal colony. Accommodation at Saltholme The volunteer accommodation is in a spacious first-floor flat in the nearby seaside town of Seaton Carew. It consists of a large lounge with stunning sea views, kitchen, bathroom and separate WC, two double bedrooms and one single bedroom. There is a washing machine, fridge/freezer, DVD player and television. Seaton Carew has 4 miles of sandy beach, and an abundance of shops, cafes and fish and chip shops, one of which is right across the road! A Sainsbury s Local is a five-minute walk from the accommodation, as is Seaton Carew station. There is a direct bus route to the reserve. How to apply Please download the internship application form from the information page. Please return your completed application form by post to Residential Volunteering Internships, Volunteering Development Department, RSPB UK HQ, The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, or to Residential.interns@rspb.org.uk. The closing date for application is 8 th January 2018 Interview dates and venue to be confirmed, some travel expense are available If successful at interview, any preference you have for a particular reserve will be taken into account. For further information about any of the locations mentioned above please see our website at If you would like any more information, or have any questions about the Northern England internships, please contact Kirsten Whittaker on , kirsten.whittaker@rspb.org.uk