Do you have the right aptitude and enthusiasm?
Want to build skill and experience to get a paid position with the RSPB?
We’ve got a wonderful opportunity for an enthusiastic and innovative individual to come and live/ commute daily to Coombes Valley as a Visitor Officer Intern.
This 6 – 12 month opportunity will help take you to the next level and boost your conservation career to get to where you want to be.
If you're interested in this role give us a ring or contact our site manager on: jarrod.sneyd@rspb.org.uk
So, why volunteer?
Our lovely volunteer Rich tells us all his best bits about volunteering here at Coombes Valley before he moves into the big world of work! If anyone wants to try something different for 2015, then read on...
What's your new year’s resolution for 2015?
Get fitter?
Get outdoors a bit more?
Learn something new? Do a bit more for charity?
Stress less?
Meet new people? Well whilst volunteering at Coombes Valley for the last year, I reckon I’ve done all that and tonnes more!
When I first came along to a practical work party as a volunteer here last February, we would spend the majority of days cutting down trees and putting them in big piles.
I thought to myself, this volunteering lark’s a bit weird; I seem to be harming nature!
But from chatting to my fellow volunteers, I soon learnt the importance of coppicing to ensure a variety of habitats are always left to encourage lots of different wildlife.
Working hard - Becky Austin
There’s also a great sense of achievement that comes from finishing a hard day’s work. Looking back at where you’ve been working, and literally seeing the difference you’ve made.
Being out on the reserve you also get a real sense of the seasons. The different colours, sights, sounds and smells of the woodland, and the way they change from month to month.
Autumn at Coombes – Heather Watkin
After a few months volunteering with the practical work party, I decided to have a go at the other side of volunteering at Coombes Valley: Visitor Engagement. This has been so much fun! I’ve got to do all kinds of things with the visitor team, but I’ve especially enjoyed:
Helping come up with and running all the cool events and trails.
Helping children catch diving beetles and build dens during ‘Woodland Explorer afternoons’ through the summer.
Telling spooky stories in the storytelling circle on our ‘Woodland Wizardry’ Halloween event.
Getting visitors interested in the reserve, and talking about the great work of the RSPB during the Open Day.
But most especially, chatting to visitors after they have finished their wanders around the reserve.
Rich in his troll mask during Woodland Wizardry (furthest left) – Jarrod Sneyd
I can't think of a single time whilst volunteering at Coombes where I left at the end of the day feeling I hadn't achieved something. And because of this, I sincerely recommend to anyone and everyone to consider volunteering. No matter if you can spare one day a month, one day a week, or even just a few odd days now and then.
Thank you to all the staff, volunteers, visitors, butterflies, trees, birds, fungi and views that made my time as a volunteer here at Coombes so much fun, and I'll definitely be a regular visitor each time I come home!
Rich
Volunteering fun at Keele Freshers Fair – Heather Watkin
If you’re passionate about wildlife, want to help make a difference and have heaps of enthusiasm, why not volunteer at Coombes Valley!
Send us an email detailing your skills and what you’d like to volunteer as on the reserve.
Let 2015 be the year you help make a change!
Email: coombes.valley@rspb.org.uk.