Intern (Dove Stone)

We are looking for volunteer interns! Our internships help people gain the skills and experience needed to start a career in conservation. You will get to meet new people and help save nature too.

Interns bring in a variety of ideas, experiences and energy into our teams, it's so much more than just getting work done; we want to hear from you if you feel like you have the motivation and passion to save nature.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work with an experienced team of blanket bog restoration practitioners to help deliver peatland restoration in the Dove Stone area. Dove Stone is a partnership site between RSPB and United Utilities, in the north of the Peak District National Park. Peatland restoration at Dove Stone has been ongoing for 16 years, and the partnership team has been instrumental in developing some of the now standard restoration techniques, and we are still innovating! Come and join us at the cutting edge of UK peatland restoration!

What we can offer you:

The RSPB will offer a programme of two 2week intern taster sessions, running during the periods 8th to 19th of November and 6th to 17th of December. We are looking for two interns per session.

The RSPB will offer a programme of mainly outdoor, practical conservation work (in all weathers but probably mostly cold and rain!). You will learn about peatland restoration and what working within an environmental charity is like. You will: • Spend most Wednesdays and Fridays out on the hill with the volunteer work parties, planting sphagnum moss or building dams • Spend one day with our Celebration Wood manager, doing maintenance and learning how we run our memorial tree planting scheme • Spend one day with our Warden using machinery to cut vegetation to diversify the vegetation communities and reduce fire risk • Spend one day with our Assistant Warden dealing with Health and Safety matters including infrastructure maintenance • Spend one day per week with our Green Recovery Reserves Assistant, monitoring contracted works delivery on the hill • Spend one day with the Site Manager looking at creation of the site management plan This will be a flexible work programme, depending on weather and work programme.

You will need to be able to:

• Travel independently to Uppermill and Dove Stone • Wear sturdy walking boots (leather boots ideal) • (we will supply waterproof clothing) • Wear old clothes that are warm and that you don’t mind getting muddy • Be willing to join in with the team, to learn from staff and other volunteers, and be willing to give everything a go! • Represent the RSPB as we wish you to. There will be training that you will need to complete on arrival around our brand and cultures.

The aim of our internships is to help build skills and to help people gain the experience necessary to help take steps towards a career, primarily in conservation. We are looking for individuals who are interested in saving nature and with the energy to learn. We are not looking for experts in conservation, or even people with lots of experience, if you are new to the sector, changing careers or looking for a new challenge, this could be for you.

This role is suited to someone looking to change their career, or someone who is just starting out. If you want to work in nature conservation, internships are volunteering opportunities that are created around your needs as much as the needs of the RSPB. You will have a say in your own development, you can work with your line manager to develop the skills you need. You will learn all about how environmental charities work to save nature and start to figure out what are of work is most suited to you.

You will be working as part of a wider team and will have the opportunity to work with lots of different people.