by Stephanie from Hamburg, Germany:
Work and duties
As I am volunteering in September, it seems that most of the work to do with birds is already over and done with so that my duties here focus mainly on conservation work: building fences, repairing drystone walls, clearing out bird boxes for the next breeding season, clearing paths and trails of bracken or overhanging branches, picking litter and all sorts of things that need to be done to keep the reserve neat and tidy.
The drystone walling proved to be quite a challenging and, at the same time, nerve-racking task because first of all you need to grasp the basic principles like finding the face of each stone or identifying its function – whether it is a through, a quoin end, a cam, or simply a walling stone – and secondly you have to develop an eye for the right size to use in each particular place. If you really enjoy jigsaw puzzles, drystone walling is ideal for you. However, if you are rather impatient, don’t even try it. The wall will most certainly collapse again.
The highlight for me personally was that I was asked to do the end part of a wall all on my own and actually managed to do it successfully! Or maybe my mentor Belinda was just being nice to me … who knows?
Anyhow, drystone walling in the pouring rain can quickly turn into a mud bath, but with the right gear even that can be fun.
Maybe a less challenging but equally satisfying task is building fences – particularly if you have never done anything like it before
Clearing out bird boxes sounds pretty boring, I admit, but the perks in connection with that are the beautiful paths in stunning scenery that you have to follow to get to the woods where the bird boxes are hidden. This task is actually a bit like a scavenger hunt, because you get a map which points out the location of each bird box but you still have to find them in the woods. It quickly becomes clear that map and actual location don’t always match.
The Accommodation
When volunteering at Geltsdale, you will be housed in Howgill, which is half a mile away from the RSPB office at Stagsike and about a 40-minute walk away from the nearest pub, café and shop. As the cottage is in a rather remote location, I would definitely recommend bringing a car or a bike. Despite the three other cottages in Howgill, it can feel quite isolated and it is good to be able to get away for a quick cup of coffee or a pint after work. Although pretty basic, the cottage itself has everything needed and is quite cosy with a wonderful wood burner and fantastic views in all directions. Mowing the lawn, cutting wood or some basic gardening around the cottage are also part of the job, of course.
The RSPB staff at Geltsdale
The RSPB staff working at Geltsdale are clearly real experts, highly professional and at the same time very welcoming and a really jolly bunch. I do admire their passion and enthusiasm not only for birds but also for all sorts of wildlife as well as the conservation of the countryside … not to forget their patience when I didn’t quite get things right and their great ability to still make me feel good about it. Obviously, they don’t only know about birds but are skilled and sensitive teachers, too, who definitely know how to motivate and encourage people.
Conclusion
For someone like me, who doesn’t know much about birds and has no experience with conservation work whatsoever, residential volunteering here at Geltsdale is a truly fantastic opportunity and I enjoy every minute of it. Not only do I learn many practical skills, like making a saw horse as well as all the other things I mentioned, but I particularly relish the beautiful scenery of the North Pennines. If they let me, I will definitely come again.
Jill J