Volunteering as part of a team, Countryside Volunteers will help look after, improve and protect the countryside so that nature and wildlife can thrive and everyone can enjoy Dyrham Park.
This a 6-month learning and development role for anyone interested in gaining new knowledge, skills and experience in environmental conservation. You do not need any previous knowledge or experience in this area. While it is only a 6-month role on completion there may be an opportunity to move into a long-term volunteer role with our Ranger volunteers on Wednesdays.
Key information:
- Length: 6 months
- Start date: Thursday, 20th February 2025
- End date: Thursday, 21st August 2025
- Commitment: Thursdays, 8.30am-12.30pm
- Application deadline: Wednesday, 29th January at 11pm
- Informal discussion about application: Monday, 3rd February or Thursday, 6th February between 1pm and 3pm
- Positions available: 2 volunteers
- Location: Dyrham Park is not accessible by public transport, so you will need to be able to travel to Dyrham independently. You will be offered expenses to cover agreed travel costs between home and place of volunteering.
By getting involved, you could…
- Help protect Dyrham Park so that wildlife can thrive, now and forever;
- Develop new skills and make a real difference to your own development and the development of the National Trust;
- Learn more about Dyrham Park, its history, landscape, nature and archaeology;
- Volunteer alongside passionate countryside management professionals, learning conservation skills along the way;
- Join a friendly and varied team and make some new friends.
You’d also be joining Europe’s largest conservation charity and the wider National Trust team proudly looking after 780 miles of coastline, over 250,000 hectares of land, over 500 historic houses, castles, ancient monuments, gardens, parks and nature reserves (including lighthouses, villages, pubs and a gold mine!). We are a unique charity welcoming millions of people each year and with a vision to open up places for the benefit of everyone, for ever.
What’s involved?
This a 6-month learning and development role. You’ll be helping the ranger team with practical work to keep the parkland at Dyrham in great condition:
- You’ll be trained on how to safely and effectively use and maintain a range of tools and machinery, such as strimmers, ride on mowers and leaf blowers;
- Learn about conservation best practice, such as restoring wildlife ponds and controlling invasive species;
- Learn about health and safety and other relevant policies;
- Help monitor wildlife nature and habitats and report any issues;
- Think about the needs of all visitors, including people with additional needs;
- Sharing what’s great about Dyrham and helping people understand why we need to take care of special places;
- Maintaining good relationships with people who share the land e.g. farm tenants and visitors;
- Being part of a team that may need to adapt and change in response to local needs, National Trust priorities, climate or changes to government guidelines.
We want all our volunteers to feel welcome and to have an equally positive experience when volunteering with us. So, volunteers will:
- Be provided with the necessary induction, training, equipment (such as boots and gloves) and reasonable adjustments to do this role well and safely;
- Be offered expenses to cover agreed travel costs between home and place of volunteering;
- Have remote access to support, news and rotas via our volunteer website.
This role will suit you if you are …
- Passionate about the outdoors and nature;
- Keen to develop new skills and learn more about environmental conservation. You do not need any previous experience in this area;
- Keen to volunteer with others.
All National Trust volunteers will be asked to …
- Respect and uphold the National Trust values whilst volunteering with us;
- Complete training required of all NT volunteers and any role specific training;
- Adhere to relevant policies and processes including equality and diversity, safeguarding, and health and safety.