Residential Voluntary Intern (Loch of Strathbeg)

NE Scotland Coastal Reserves Residential Volunteer Internship based at Loch of Strathbeg (Crimond, Aberdeenshire).

We are looking for an individual who wants the opportunity to develop their skills and experience with the goal of achieving employment in the conservation sector.

Our Residential Volunteer Internships aim to equip you with training and skills needed for a career in conservation. We will provide you with a broad range of training, including certified courses, as well as assistance with writing applications and interview skills. The internship will provide opportunities for you to gain skills, knowledge and experience.

You will become an essential part of the small friendly reserve teams based at Loch of Strathbeg, joining the other intern (already in post) and short-term residential volunteers to work alongside staff.

Free accommodation (including household bills) is provided for the duration of the internship. Residential volunteer interns are responsible for providing their own food and any personal travel costs. The accommodation is a renovated farmhouse on site at Loch of Strathbeg, shared with other volunteers. The house has four bedrooms, two shower/bathrooms and an open plan kitchen/living room.

North East Scotland Coastal Reserves

The Loch of Strathbeg team manage a mix of reserves under the umbrella name of NE Scotland Coastal Reserves, including Troup Head, Fowlsheugh, Loch Spynie and Meikle Loch. You will be assisting the team with day-to-day management of the reserves and where practicably possible the internship will be tailored to your career goal. You will be involved with habitat management and estate work, surveys and monitoring, livestock checking, reserve up-keep and administration. The Residential Volunteer accommodation at Loch of Strathbeg is located in a relatively remote area and the volunteer interns will need to accept the lifestyle that this brings.

September sees the return of thousands of pink-footed geese from their Icelandic breeding grounds to Loch of Strathbeg and the winter survey season will include dawn goose counts, farmland bird surveys and Wetland Bird Surveys (WeBS).

In Spring the breeding bird survey starts, including arable farmland bird surveys, you will help with the monitoring of breeding tree sparrows and corn buntings on and off reserve. You will also assist the Wardens with seabird monitoring at Fowlsheugh and Troup Head.

You will be involved with other wildlife surveys on the reserve, in particular moth recording and trapping. There is also the potential for undertaking mammal surveys, including otter and water vole, and invertebrate surveys on grassland areas.

You will play a key role in the day-to-day management of the konik pony herd, gaining hands on experience of working with grazing animals in a conservation setting.

Following some in-house training you may be asked to play a role in people engagement and membership recruitment work, depending on your experience.

You will receive practical training as appropriate, including First Aid, LANTRA 4 x 4 off-road training, ATV training and brush-cutter training. There will also be the opportunity to go on local wildlife course training days.

About You

You will need to be at least 18 years old and have a genuine demonstrable interest in nature conservation with ambitions of gaining employment in environmental conservation. You'll have the ability to work under your own initiative within a small team, must be comfortable and able to walk long distance over rough terrain and have good communication skills. You will need to be able to undertake physical manual tasks outside as well as prepared to take on desk-based admin and office work. A full manual driving licence is essential for driving RSPB fleet vehicles between the reserves.

You will need to be available to start mid-October and be able to commit to 5 days a week for 11-12 months.

To Apply

Applications will be short-listed and will be invited to interview either in person or via Microsoft Teams on the w/b 26th September 2022.

Closing date for applications is 12pm Monday 19th September 2022

For further information contact: Lorna Dow (Warden - NE Coastal Reserves)

Email: lorna.dow@rspb.org.uk Tel: 01346 532017