Residential Voluntary Intern (Lake Vyrnwy - 6-12 months - Starting Autumn 2021)

About RSPB Lake Vyrnwy

RSPB Lake Vyrnwy is our hidden gem, a rich mosaic of landscapes and communities, that challenge, inspire and enrich the lives of those lucky enough to experience it. At the heart of the Berwyn mountains, on the southern boundary of the Snowdonia National Park, Lake Vyrnwy sits in RSPB’s North Wales Moors Priority Landscape. The 10,000 hectare Vyrnwy estate is owned by Hafren Dyfrdwy and managed in partnership with the RSPB.

Lake Vyrnwy’s blanket bog, dry Heath and ffridd are home to some of Wales's rarest wildlife including Hen Harrier, Black Grouse, Curlew and Welsh Clearwing moth, and store huge quantities of carbon.

Our RSPB farm team manage 4500 hectares of uplands, delivering environmental benefits and ecosystem services within a viable commercial model. Our wardens work closely with our farm team to support the delivery of our conservation objectives through the farm.

Lake Vyrnwy’s 200,000 visitors a year provide a unique opportunity to connect people with nature and our dedicated visitor operations team ensures our visitors facilities offer a safe and enjoyable experience while inspiring others to help save nature.

Overall purpose of the role.

During the winter, this role will involve assisting our wardens with the habitat and estate management across the reserve. This could involve managing non native conifers and Rhododendron in our woodlands and on our uplands to repairing our hides and trails. This role will provide a real variety of tasks and could involve some work with livestock on the farm. This will then transfer in spring into the surveying of our priority species and vegetation later in the summer.

During your stay, you will become a member of the reserve team working alongside our wardens in some of the most scenic areas of Wales. You will contribute to the gathering of reserve data to help understand and focus our future management. This is an excellent opportunity to make a genuine contribution to wildlife conservation while gaining valuable insight, experience and skills that would support those wishing to pursue a career in conservation science, field biology, ecology or nature reserve management.

You will be managed by a designated Warden who will provide a structure to your development in the form of an Aims and Objectives document, there will be regular meetings to check your progress, an initial 3 week trial period and a six month review.

In this role you will gain the following:

• 4X4 off road driving • Mountain navigation skills • Geographical Information systems – digital mapping. • Collecting and collating biological records may include: • Bird surveys • Botanical monitoring • Upland vegetation monitoring • Assisting with bird ringing projects • Experience of working in a team. • Chainsaw training • Tree safety • A working knowledge of the RSPB and conservation issues. • Some experience of other aspects of a reserve such as visitor services and events. • Free accommodation (including bills) in stunning surroundings on the reserve. • There will also be opportunities for self-learning or to pursue personal natural history projects. Depending on interns’ interests there may be opportunities to meet with other RSPB specialist staff including Conservation Scientists and Ecologists.

Assisting as part of the small reserve team in reserve upkeep, day to day management and admin tasks such as • Entering work logs into the Conservation Management System • Entering wildlife data into Merlin GIS package • Carrying out trail safety audits • Maintaining visitor facilities including cleaning of hides • Assisting with Quality Assurance checks to maintain high standards of facilities • Assisting when required with reserve events • Supporting l leading guided walks

Skills required

Essential: • Enthusiasm for the role. • Surveys are frequently conducted during unsocial hours, in all weathers and can be strenuous so applicants must be physically and mental prepared to meet those challenges. • An interest in conservation and natural history • Self-motivation • Team Player • A driving licence is also required for this role as training will include 4x4 driving

Desirable: • Specialist knowledge is not necessary, but experience of species monitoring, and bird ID would be an advantage. • Previous experience of practical estate / maintenance work. • Experience of Volunteering. • Ability to lead a team. • Relevant studies.

Location and accommodation

Lake Vyrnwy is at the southern end of the Berwyn Mountains in mid-Wales, 25 miles west of Oswestry and 15 miles south of Bala and is reached via the B4393 from Llanfyllin. There is no public transport to the Reserve, trains can be caught to Welshpool or Gobowen stations, each 25 miles away.

The accommodation is in two basic, adjacent bungalows called Glynafon and Minafon. Both bungalows have shower, electric cooker, fridge, freezer, iron, TV, washing machine and microwave. This is a rural community and access to social entertainment and shops is limited. The nearest pub, corner shop and post office are about 1/2 a mile away, the nearest town, Llanfyllin) is 9 miles, and a cinema, banks and building societies are about 23 miles away.

Closing date for applications 15th December 2021

**If you would like any more information, please contact **

Gethin Elias
gethin.Elias@rspb.org.uk Warden RSPB Lake Vyrnwy

or

Grove Sykes
grovesykes@rspb.org.uk Warden RSPB Lake Vyrnwy