Intern (Non residential internship opportunity)

DESCRIPTION RSPB Pagham Harbour & Medmerry Reserves are looking for volunteer conservation interns! An RSPB Voluntary Internship is designed to provide the experience, training, skills and knowledge required to pursue a career in conservation by gaining a wide range of practical experience in a variety of habitats. A dedicated member of staff will be assigned to guide you through your internship. Our reserves are vital havens for a huge range of species, and special spaces for us all to get closer to nature, and we want you to be a part of our team managing these whilst you are gaining the experience to start your career in conservation. The tasks for voluntary internships at our RSPB Pagham Harbour & Medmerry Reserves will vary greatly depending on the team’s priorities and the season, but it will be vital work involving practical conservation of the reserve and management of volunteers. As a volunteer you will work alongside the Warden team, focusing on habitat management, reserve maintenance and Flora/fauna surveys. What you'll be doing • Making repairs to our site infrastructure such as gates, fences and benches • Assisting and leading our volunteer work parties with practical conservation work for which first aid training will be provided. • Managing habitat vegetation with the use of saws, loppers and brush-cutting power tools. • Carrying out machinery and vehicle maintenance including maintenance logs and use of our site All terrain vehicle ATV • Managing invasive species, e.g. mink traps and Red valerian • Monitoring of breeding waders • Maintaining anti-predator fences-Water level management - salinity checks in our freshwater Pools • Taking part in monthly Webs counts and Breeding bird surveys BBS • Opportunities to take part in wildlife surveys including Bats, moth trapping, Water vole, Harvest mouse, insects and flora including the very rare Childing pink at Church Norton spit • Undertake habitat surveys in line with our High Level Stewardship agreement • Maintaining wildlife records, including use of Merlin mapping tools The skills you'll need We will provide all the training, certificates and information needed to carry out the role, but in addition you will have: • Excellent organisational skills. • Enthusiasm. • Willingness to learn. -Organisational skills What's in it for you This scheme is designed to give you the training and experience needed to pursue a career in conservation. As well as providing lots of opportunities to gain first-hand experience, we will assist your personal development and progression. It is also important that you take advantage of the opportunities that will arise during the placement to learn new skills, gain new experiences and increase your conservation knowledge. We will offer you: • A dedicated line manager and mentor (Richard Hackett -Assistant warden) • Experience of working in a team and supervising other volunteers. • A working knowledge of the RSPB and conservation issues. • Excellent practical experience of working on a nature reserve and managing different coastal habitats for wildlife, including wet grassland, saltmarsh, reed bed, shingle habitats and woodland. • An understanding of management planning process, priority habitats, target species and their habitat requirements, and management options. Please note: this is not a residential internship - accommodation is not provided. This role is not suitable for under-18s and this role is not an offer of employment within the RSPB once your internship has completed, although we are able to offer our time and assistance to work with you on your CV and guide you through the process of applying for work in a conservation role. Duration Six months, starting first week of April 2024 and finishing end of September2024, a minimum of 3 days per week, on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesdays. Interviews will be held throughout March/April