Some of our previous residential volunteers / View out across the flows from the top of Sletill Hill
Go with the Flows in 2017...Residential Internship Opportunities!
Are you interested in wildlife, conservation, climate change? Are you looking to gain important skills and experience with a view to pursuing a career in conservation? Do you want to help give nature a home, share your passion for wildlife...and get muddy?
Please read on...
There is no single route into working in conservation, as there are numerous roles, great diversity, and many specialized areas.
Volunteering is a great ‘tried and trusted’ way of finding out more about an area or organisation, and many, many people currently in a conservation job started by volunteering.
Lead guided walks, engage with visitors and undertake infrastructure maintenance
Here at RSPB Forsinard Flows, we are offering four 7 month residential internships running from March to September 2017, which will help you to gain a variety of skills in key conservation areas, including surveying and monitoring, people engagement and research.
Take part in survey and monitoring work in the heart of the flow country involving a suite of internationally protected species
All of this on the RSPB’s largest nature reserve, in the heart of the internationally important Flow Country peatlands. You will be surveying and helping to conserve many rare and endangered bird species, including hen harrier, red and black throated divers, common scoter, curlew, greenshank, golden plover and many more. You will also experience a range of peatland wildlife, from the amazing insectivorous plants, to the beautiful dragonflies and damselflies and majestic red deer. You will share the importance of this beautiful habitat with visitors through assisting in the visitor centre, on guided walks and at events.
We think this is an amazing opportunity, to increase your experience and practise new skills, but don’t just take our word for it – here are some testimonies from previous volunteers –
“Forsinard was one of my first residential volunteering experiences with the RSPB, and definitely one of the most memorable. The scenery and wildlife were incredible, and it was a really fantastic team to be part of! I learned a lot about upland and bog habitat management, as well as getting brilliant experience of working outdoors with RSPB staff and volunteers. Being at Forsinard gave me the confidence to pursue my change of career, and thanks to that I’m lucky enough to now be an assistant warden.”
Daniel Snowden, Assistant Warden, RSPB Dungeness.
I had a fantastic time volunteering at Forsinard, surveying some of our most iconic birds and taking part in genuine conservation work in a unique landscape. I've never learnt so many new things so quickly, and I also gained the skills and experience I needed to begin a career working in conservation. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to volunteer at Forsinard, I would definitely recommend it!
David Jarrett, Fieldwork, Training and Engagement Officer, BTO Scotland.
You can find out more about the posts at Forsinard and how to apply at
http://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/community-and-advice/volunteer/8103-residential-volunteer-intern-conservation-forsinard-flows
The closing date for applications is 16th January 2017.
Much of our survey work is on birds but there is plenty of 'other wildlife' at Forsinard - Common Lizard / Greenshank chick