RSPB staff are encouraged to spend one day a year volunteering elsewhere in the organisation. This includes those right at the top of the RSPB's 'food-chain' as Chief Executive Mike Clarke discovered.
He tells us about his day helping to clear out invasive plants at Baron's Haugh in Lanarkshire.
Baron's Haugh is a gem of a site. It's one of our reserves that I've never visited, so I jumped at the chance. 'Haugh' means flooded river meadow, a key habitat on the reserve.
Almost over-shadowed by Motherwell's tower blocks, the mighty Clyde that flows along the reserve boundary has some of the most natural riverbanks in the UK. It's home to often-seen otters and much like beaver habitat I've seen on rivers in Eastern Europe.
It's part of what was once a grand estate, with relict parkland, woods and formal landscapes at one end of the reserve. This, together with its urban edge location, mean that the reserve has a host of problems with invasive non-native species (INNS).
This was the second reason why I was so keen to volunteer here, because INNS are one of the biggest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Elsewhere, in Ayrshire for example, Himalayan balsam is a major issue on floodplains. This was my chance to take direct action!
So, I was delighted when Stephen Owen, our site manager, agreed for me to join the regular Thursday volunteer party to remove rhododendron around a badger sett before the deadline in the licence from Scottish Natural Heritage and before the rain set in later in the day, preventing chemical treatment of stumps.
I was even more pleased when I found my first task was to build a bonfire! To burn off the rhododendron we were bashing for the morning (and bringing out my inner pyromaniac and volunteer past...).
Loyal Band of Volunteers
Stephen is the only member of staff, managing a diverse site with lots of even more diverse visitors. We can only get things done by the loyal band of volunteers who, over the years, have improved just about every part of the reserve.
The Thursday volunteer team is a varied bunch, but unified by their passion for and commitment to nature - from a school leaver applying to university and a full-time carer who volunteers in his only time off, to regular retirees staying active. We'd cleared the rhododendron by lunch, so set about digging up snowberry bushes in the afternoon.
We chatted about ruddy ducks, telemarketing, the volunteer reward scheme and the fact that the RSPB is the nature charity brave enough to speak out on challenging issues. I was in awe of our volunteers' tolerance of our bureaucracy. Maybe people do appreciate some safeguards are necessary.
An active day outdoors
It reminded me that there really are some wonderful people in the world - and many of them are RSPB volunteers and supporters. I treasure all of them. The day wasn't so much about learning something new as reminding me of two important things. Following behind the volunteer team as we left, I could simply hear laughter ringing in the woods ahead of me.
The other thing? My own wellbeing. After a couple of fairly heavy weeks mainly in meetings, I was reminded how good it feels to spend an active day outdoors surrounded by wildlife.
Writing this on the train home - smoky, muddy and damp - I've had a great day as a volunteer.