Volunteers make an amazing contribution to the RSPB and it’s fantastic that all volunteers across Europe are being recognised and celebrated as part of the year.
During March and April the year is focusing on youth volunteering and with our new campaign ‘Stepping Up For Nature’ being launched in March it seems appropriate to share with you that it was two of our youngest members, Dominik Reynolds and Charlotte Moorcroft, that knocked on the door of 10 Downing Street to hand deliver a book made up of stunning images. Dominik is one of our youngest volunteers and after he handed in the 300,000 plus Letter to the Future signatures that made up the images in the book, he shared how he frequently steps up for nature......
“My name is Dominik and I am 10 years old.
Stepping up for Nature is something I am very proud to be part of. Stepping up here and speaking to you all is rather more scary, but here goes...
I have been passionate about nature for as long as I can remember. This season will be my third year volunteering on the Date with Nature project at the Reptile Centre near to where I live in the New Forest. I was noticed there by two RSPB staff, Dan and Naomi, on one of my visits to the centre with my mum. They asked me if I would like to become a volunteer. I jumped at the chance, because I had always talked to and enjoyed watching the people working there. I had been so inspired by what they do and now I get the same pleasure.
Volunteering on a Date with Nature involves talking to all the visitors, young and older, about the birds and reptiles. I tell them about the live web cams we have filming various birds of prey’s nests and about what has been going on. I answer people’s questions and try and make sure they go home excited by the nature they have seen and that they have learnt something. We also have a telescope focused on bird feeders, a nature table and models of wet land birds.
Being a volunteer is brilliant. I love seeing the joy on people’s faces and watching them being amazed by the birds and reptiles. I also learn a lot from the other volunteers and the forestry commission workers at the centre. We have lots of laughs too!!
Through being a volunteer I have also done lots of other exciting things such as speaking up here today. And earlier today I had the honour to be part of the RSPB group that went to number 10 Downing Street to deliver the Letter to the Future.
I also met Julia Bradbury last year when Countryfile came to the reptile centre to do some filming. She was lovely! Luckily my mum had her camera there and she took a great photo of us.
I have also been part of a video for the RSPB’s AGM, written an article for the volunteers magazine and done talks at school about the RSPB and what I do. I also got to help the forestry commission do a Bio Blitz last year and had great fun one night on a bat hunt and moth trapping and the next day doing pond dipping. All trying to discover the numbers and variety of wildlife around.
I love the many experiences that the great outdoors has to offer. Around every corner there is a new sound and sight of nature for us to see. Since I was little my mum has taken me out to explore and enjoy the amazing selection of wildlife in the beaches, woodland, heathland and the New Forest in my local area.
Stepping up for Nature is something we all do and I want to carry on helping people discover and appreciate the nature and environments around them. Not just on my volunteering shifts, but all the time. I have my welcome meeting for Date with Nature, on March 25th, and I can’t wait to hear what we shall be up to and get started again.
Thank you for listening to how I plan to carry on Stepping up for Nature and now I am stepping down from here.”
No matter what you think you are, you are always and in all ways so much more!