Julie Hatcher
Volunteering
Is volunteering right for me?
Volunteers come to us for all sorts of reasons: to do their bit, to get healthy, to stay healthy, for the social element, for fun, for the challenge, to learn new skills, to practice old skills, to prepare for the workplace, to help wildlife, to get out into the fresh air, to learn about wildlife, to carry on using skills during retirement - and occasionally it’s just to give it a go. We like to think that we have the ideal opportunity for everyone who comes to us – so why not put us to the test?
To register as a volunteer, see all of our available opportunities and take the next step to join, please click the link below to go to our Volunteering portal.
There are lots of different opportunities, it's just a matter of choosing which ones you want to try. Read about some of the options below:
Volunteering opportunities
Winter conservation work on Brownsea Island (https://youtu.be/WtB4HWy8Et8)
Video production: Diarmuid Mitchell
Getting stuck in with our work parties
Join a conservation work party and help to manage our nature reserves across the county.
- Mainly winter activities
- A few sites host volunteer work parties throughout the year.
- All sessions are led by experienced volunteers or Reserve Wardens
- All tools provided for you.
Undertake active management tasks such as:
- Path creation
- Scrub clearance
- Hedgelaying
- Path clearance
- Small pine removal.
The emphasis is for everyone to enjoy their time, in a safe environment, whilst carrying out work that will directly enhance the conservation aspects of the site.
- Most work parties run from 10am until 3pm.
- Details of each event can be found on our Volunteering Portal. Click on the orange button at the top of this page to register.
Working in the offices and visitor centres
Volunteering with Dorset Wildlife Trust needn't involve being outside, doing something manual or getting very muddy and wet!
There is a huge range of other tasks that may appeal to you indoors at our Headquarters near Dorchester, or any of our Visitor Centres
- Organising events
- Clerical support
- Staffing reception
- Data input
- Carrying out research
- Helping pack DWT newsletters into envelopes
There are also regular sessions at our Brooklands Farm HQ carrying out such tasks as the stuffing of newsletters, raffles and other bulk mailings into envelopes ready for delivery.
Contact: If you are able to volunteer for a regular session of perhaps one day a week, you may like to assist one of our teams with a specific project.
Carrying out wildlife surveys
Recording and monitoring of wildlife is an important part of our work across Dorset, from our Nature Reserves and Dorset's Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) to the Living Landscape & Living Seas projects and your local community patch!
There are a number of ways you can be involved, depending on your interests, how much time you have, and how experienced you are at identifying wildlife.
If you have existing wildlife identification and survey skills, would like to contribute to the nature reserves recording and monitoring programme or are a regular recorder at any of our sites get in touch. There are also occasional opportunities to be trained for specific surveys which are advertised through the volunteer e-mail newsletter.
Discover more - our volunteer handbook
Volunteer Handbook
Read our volunteers' blogs
Find out about Dorset Wildlife Trust
Information Pack for Volunteers
Volunteering for young people
Volunteering at Lorton Meadows by Sam Dallimore
Meet the volunteer team near you
We have regional teams throughout Dorset. Feel free to contact them directly if you wish to discuss specific volunteering roles.
Sarah Pritchard - Brooklands HQ
Sarah Pritchard Administration Officer is the member of staff responsible for the Brooklands HQ Front of House Volunteers. Our volunteers provide a welcoming, friendly, first point of contact for members and public alike. Their main jobs include supporting the administration team with answering the phone, emailing messages, opening incoming mail and preparing outgoing mail. They also help with any admin jobs that arise such as helping to construct adoption packs and membership packs.
Brownsea Island Volunteers
Brownsea Volunteers: Meet every Friday from September and throughout winter helping with habitat management of this unique nature reserve.
Abi Mustard - Chesil Community Engagement Volunteers
Abi is the Community Ranger based at the Fine Foundation Wild Chesil Centre, and she oversees the Community Engagement Volunteer team who support her work in engaging with visitors to Chesil Beach and Fleet Lagoon promoting the high wildlife conservation value of the site.
You can find out more about our work at the centre at www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/chesilcentre
Anna Kenny - East Dorset Volunteers
East Dorset Volunteers: Meet on the first and third Thursday of the month at the Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill, throughout the year. A mix of practical tasks and survey work, there will be something to meet everybody’s needs.
Dan Bartlett - Lorton Meadows Volunteers
Lorton Meadows: Meet fortnightly on Wednesdays at the Lorton Meadows Wildlife Centre 10am 3pm. Tasks involve scrub clearance, path and gate clearance, fencing repairs.
Julie Hatcher - Marine Volunteers
Julie Hatcher
Julie is the Marine Awareness Officer and manages the Fine Foundation Wild Seas Centre at Kimmeridge where she organises the team of volunteer marine wardens.
Sarah Norman - North Dorset Volunteers
Sarah Norman is the North Dorset Reserves Warden and North Dorset Volunteer Lead. She is involved with survey/monitoring work in the summer. In the winter, tasks mainly involve habitat management. Sarah always ensures that volunteering tasks are enjoyable, action-packed and fulfilling. If this sounds like the sort of thing you want to be involved in, please drop her a line!
North Dorset Volunteers: Meet the second and fourth Wednesday, and one Sunday each month, throughout the year. Much of the work will involve keeping the downland clear of invasive scrub.
Jack Inman - South Dorset Volunteers
The Trust runs regular work parties on South Dorset nature reserves.
South Dorset Volunteers: Meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 10 am. Please note dates may vary occasionally so check our on-line events guide for up to date information. Join the Warden on a practical task and help to manage our South Dorset nature reserves. Booking is essential.
Colleen Smith - Moore - Wessex Water Guardians Volunteers
Colleen is the Assistant Conservation Officer (Rivers & Wetlands), she runs the Wessex Water Guardians Community Project.
Colleen looks after our Wessex Water Guardians volunteers who walk publicly accessible stretches of river, in their own time, to monitor river health and check for pollution. Training is provided and no prior experience is necessary. If you are interested to find out more about the Water Guardians, please find further details on the website.
Lizzie Parris - West Dorset Volunteers
West Dorset Work Party Lizzie Parris
Lizzie Parris is the West Dorset Volunteer Co-ordinator as well as being a reserves warden for West Dorset. She runs regular volunteer work parties on our West Dorset nature reserves.
West Dorset Volunteers: Meets every Tuesday from 10am until 4pm. Feel free to get in touch for more information if you are interested in helping the West Dorset wardens with a variety of practical management tasks.
Nick Gray - West Dorset Wider Countryside Volunteers
Nick Gray
Nick Gray is the West Dorset Conservation Officer, he runs regular work parties which work with local landowners and farmers to restore and enhance wildlife-rich grassland.
THURSDAYS – West Dorset Wider Countryside Volunteers: Meet on Thursdays throughout the year (weekly in winter, fortnightly in the summer), for active conservation on wildlife-rich grasslands, hedgerows, woodlands and riverbanks. Based in West Dorset.
Mitch Perkins - Wilder Communities Volunteers
Mitch is the Assistant Wilder Communities Officer and helps look after our wildlife gardening projects.
Daisy Meadowcroft - Wild Woodbury Volunteers
Daisy is Wild Woodbury Ranger and organises the volunteering opportunities ranging from practical conservation work to wildlife monitoring.
Get in touch
We really do value your feedback on our volunteering programme so please feel free to get in touch at volunteering@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk,