Dorset Wildlife Trust celebrates volunteering

Volunteers Week from 1st to 7th June celebrates the efforts of volunteers all over the UK, and Dorset Wildlife Trust is getting involved with events every day of the week. This annual event highlights the amazing difference volunteers make and encourages others to see what a difference they can make to the world around them.

Why is national volunteers week so special?

Steve Davis, Volunteering Manager for Dorset Wildlife Trust said: “Our aim during national Volunteers Week is to provide a wide variety of opportunities for people so that there will be something for everyone. It’s the perfect time to come along and give it a try. Volunteering with Dorset Wildlife Trust will not only help you to get out and enjoy our amazing countryside, but it’s also very satisfying work knowing that every little bit goes towards helping local wildlife.”

I would love to volunteer, but how can I find out more?

If you have never volunteered before but have always wanted to, DWT’s GreenForce young volunteers will be manning a stand in the Dolphin Centre, Poole on 7th June from 9am to 12pm. This is an opportunity to find out more about volunteering with Dorset Wildlife Trust by talking to staff and volunteers, and finding out just how you can get involved.

How can I get involved?

Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Volunteers Week events from 1st- 7th of June range from trips to the Brownsea Island Reserve to clear Rhododendron to wildlife surveys or helping to launch the new Kayak Trail.

For the full list of events, click here

These opportunities are all offered as part of Volunteers’ Week, but there are volunteering opportunities throughout the year. For details click here or call the Volunteering team on 01202 642788.
 

-ENDS-
Notes to Editor

For more information please contact Nicky Hoar at Dorset Wildlife Trust on 01305 264620.

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About Dorset Wildlife Trust www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Working for a secure future for Dorset’s wildlife enriching the quality of life Dorset Wildlife Trust works to champion wildlife and natural places, to engage and inspire people and to promote sustainable living. Founded in 1961, DWT is now the largest voluntary nature conservation organisation in Dorset, with over 25,000 members and over 40 nature reserves. Most are open daily and there are visitor centres providing a wealth of wildlife information at Brooklands Farm, Lorton Meadows, Kingcombe Meadows and Brownsea Island Nature Reserves, The Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve and the Urban Wildlife Centre at Upton Heath Nature Reserve. DWT plays a key role in dealing with local environmental issues and leads the way in establishing the practices of sustainable development and engaging new audiences in conservation, particularly in the urban areas.

Buzzard cam
The reason why this has not been achieved before is the difficulty in filming a buzzard nest. It took months of planning - starting before Christmas 2010. Although quite common now, buzzards don’t necessarily use the same nest site every year and usually have several nest sites to choose from (with old nests still in them). The cameras had to be set up on several trees in two separate locations (involving climbing incredibly high and dangerous trees ­ and dangling on ropes to put in the cameras). Luckily the buzzard pair picked one of the camera trees! Another difficulty was setting up a wireless connection to a central unit so that the pictures could be broadcast live online, requiring external batteries that need to be changed on a regular basis. Dorset Wildlife Trust is pleased to acknowledge this great achievement by Jason Fathers of Wildlife Windows and thank him for his persistence.

Read our Blog "Wildlife Matters"

The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) www.wildlifetrusts.org

There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK and the Isle of Man and Alderney. All are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. We have more than 800,000 members including 150,000 members of our junior branch Wildlife Watch. Our vision is to create A Living Landscape and secure Living Seas. We manage around 2,300 nature reserves and every year we advise thousands of landowners and organisations on how to manage their land for wildlife. We also run marine conservation projects around the UK, collecting vital data on the state of our seas and celebrating our amazing marine wildlife. Every year we work with thousands of schools and our nature reserves and visitor centres receive millions of visitors. Each Wildlife Trust is working within its local communities to inspire people about the future of their area: their own Living Landscapes and Living Seas.

Volunteers taking part in orchid surveys- Andy Fale