This week we hear from former volunteer Amy about her experience volunteering at Arne, and why it is has such a special place in her heart.
"I started volunteering at Arne in 2018 to give myself a regular break from the stresses of running my own business. As a child I loved nature and animals, being a member of the Hedgehog Preservation Society and adopting a dolphin called Bubbles who lived in the Moray Firth. As I moved into adulthood, I forgot about nature, focusing instead on money, houses and careers.
At this time I was living near Southampton and had been to Arne a few times and fallen in love with it. Every time I’d visited, I’d thought, “Oh, I’d love to be at the front entrance chatting to people about the reserve, the amazing work being undertaken to manage it, and the fantastic wildlife here”, so I did! I was welcomed as a Visitor Engagement volunteer with open arms by the staff and volunteers, and for well over a year, I drove over a couple of times a week (a 104 mile round trip in total!) to volunteer.
Arne became my sanctuary; a place I could come to and forget about the stresses in my life; it allowed me to feel like I was a part of something bigger and it provided a focus that was just for me. Every shift taught me more and more about wildlife, the reserve and the RSPB. It was so exciting to hear that heathland species such as the Dartford warbler and nightjar were climbing in numbers due to the management of the reserve, and to learn about the tiny ladybird spider and how it was making a comeback in Dorset, with some being released at secret sites around Arne. I learnt how heathland habitat needs to be managed, and could see this being put into practice when the RSPB successfully purchased Hyde’s Heath (the final part of the Arne peninsula to be owned by the RSPB), a pine plantation that is being returned to heathland. As part of the clearance of the Scots Pine, I volunteered at Pull a Pine, an annual event every December, where the public can pull up or chop down pine trees and take them home for Christmas. The event has a fantastic atmosphere, and it was so funny to watch children drag huge pine trees back to their cars and their parents drive off with as many as they could carry tied to their roof racks!
Out enjoying Coombe Heath, 6 Dec 2020
I ended up buying an electric car to make my commute cleaner, and eventually moved over to Dorset so I could be closer to the reserve, live in a more rural location, and have a complete fresh start. I was given the opportunity to progress into volunteer development, being able to put my own stamp on the development of volunteers at Arne, running induction sessions and designing helpful packs of information for new starters.
Spotting common lizards by the welcome area, 11 Aug 2021
Nowadays, I try to go back to Arne regularly as there are some really exciting projects underway on the reserve and in the surrounding areas, with the reintroduction of ospreys to Poole Harbour, white-tailed eagles to the Isle of Wight and the exciting recent announcement that permission has been granted to adapt The Moors at Arne, an area of approximately 150 hectares of low-lying grassland, into diverse wetlands. This will provide space for nature which will replace areas lost due to sea level rise. I can’t wait to see it unfold!"
Thank you to Amy for her lovely insights. If you are interested in volunteering at Arne, we are always looking for new members of the team. We have volunteers on all areas of the reserve, from the shop & café, to the welcome area, to events, to practical conservation.
Follow this link for the latest opportunities and to find out more: https://volunteer.rspb.org.uk/opportunities#display=grid&s=date_advertised&o=desc