Practical Reserve Work (Aylesbeare Common)

Would you like to join the RSPB Aylesbeare Common team on the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths? We are looking for new faces to join us as practical work party volunteers. If you like variety and hard work, and would like to get to know the commons better, get in touch to find out more.

It might seem like your local heathland is wild and unfettered but we have to work really hard to maintain the habitat to be in the best condition for wildlife. Nationally, we have lost about 80% of our heathland, and we are absolutely devoted to keeping what heath we do have here in the best condition for our special and specialist heathland species such as Dartford warbler, nightjar, silver-studded blue butterfly as well as lizards, snakes and insects. The Pebblebeds are the largest area of lowland heath in Devon and the RSPB has been involved in managing Aylesbeare since the late 1970s. Our management area has now expanded considerably (we help manage approx 1000 acres) and we work with our volunteers in all these sites, as well as occasionally further afield. Most of what we manage is heathland, but we also have grass/meadow and woodland.

At Aylesbeare our band of volunteers are absolutely key to us being able to achieve what we want to achieve. We are hard working, resourceful and share a love of the outdoors. As one of our volunteers, you may be involved with any of the below:

• Scrub clearance of gorse, birch and pine (winter work)
• Maintaining and managing tools and equipment
• Fencing/fence repairs (we have livestock for conservation grazing and we look after our fences)
• DIY/carpentry (from dormouse boxes to sheds)
• Bracken slashing
• Anything else you can turn your hand to

If you enjoy being outdoors, meeting new people and practical conservation work, then this role could be the perfect opportunity for you. It does involve a reasonable amount of physical activity (there is a lot of manual labour involved) so it's good if you're looking for an interesting form of exercise. But you will be making a very real contribution to nature conservation, and we couldn't do what we do (and the heaths wouldn't support the number of species they do) without our volunteers and hopefully it's something that will give you a great sense of satisfaction in return. Not to mention learning about our work and the RSPB and wildlife.

Full training will be provided and there are sometimes opportunities to gain additional skills or training. As volunteers you may have certain skills or expertise of your own, and we are often happy to put this to good use!

We are a friendly and hard working team of volunteers and a small and experienced staff team, with residential volunteers to help us. If this sounds like your sort of thing, we'd like to hear from you.