To celebrate how brilliant our volunteers are and give you a behind the scenes peek of life at RSPB Sandwell Valley, we're starting a series of blogs written by our volunteers about them and their roles at Sandwell.
First up is Andy White, who you'll find in the visitor centre on Wednesday afternoons. Andy's a cracking member of the team and his enthusiasm for wildlife is infectious so make sure you say 'hello' if you pop in and see him...
I suppose I was always destined to spend more time on Sandwell Valley once I had retired. After all, my ancestors were shepherds here 200 years ago, and for the past 60 years I have almost always lived right on the edge of this green oasis at the centre of our bustling conurbation.
As a child, my friends and I would roam the valley on summer days, building dens and playing Akee-123, only returning home for food. Latterly, as a parent, I have brought up a family enjoying all that the valley has to offer in respect of its history, recreation and most importantly its wildlife.
Therefore, when I finally decided to retire a couple of years ago, and I needed to fill my days, I needed to look no further than over the road to Sandwell Valley. Initially, I just spent more time walking, running or cycling. It’s perfect for that. But actually I felt I wanted to be more involved and became concerned over protecting the valley for its people and its wildlife. So it was that I started to volunteer at the RSPB.
Currently I volunteer at Nature's Reach Visitor Centre for a half day each week. When it’s quiet, I get to spend a lot of time watching the many different birds on the bird feeders just outside of the window. But when it’s busy I really enjoy talking about the valley and birds with the visitors who come in for information, a cup of tea or a warm-up on cold days.
I have seen huge changes in the valley over my life time, from the degraded scrubland and industrial landscape of the 1960’s, to the beautiful managed reserve we see today, and although I know it well I am still discovering something new each time I visit. It’s a fantastic place and I’m proud to be a part of it.
Andy
Thank you Andy! If you like the sound of welcoming visitors to the centre, and spending some time chatting with other nature enthusiasts, we have a vacancy for this role on Saturdays and Sundays. To find our more information and to apply please get in touch with alex.sharrod@rspb.org.uk or call the office on 0121 357 7395.
Jenny, Connecting People and Nature Intern