Practical Reserve Work (Giving Corncrake a Home – Nettle digging)

The corncrake was once an iconic bird across Northern Ireland. People have fond memories of listening to its loud and distinctive crex-crex call on a summers evening. Sadly, over the last century their numbers have dropped dramatically, and they are no longer a familiar sound of the countryside. The RSPB is working hard to turn the fortunes of this species around, but we need your help. We’re creating large areas of corncrake cover on Rathlin Island in an effort to attract these enigmatic birds back to breed. This project involves a variety of tasks, from digging up nettle roots to clearing brambles from field boundaries to create the right habitat. Over the last few years, we have seen very successful results with the return of the corncrakes, thanks to our hardworking team of volunteers. But we need to create more suitable habitat for this iconic bird. If you want to be involved with this ongoing project, we are organising a day of nettle digging in Glenwherry in the Antrim Hills. This is an opportunity to experience hand-on conservation work to help with the recovery of a protected species. You will need to be able to carry out practical work outside mostly digging and washing up nettle rhizomes. As the work will be exposed to the weather, you will have to be appropriately equipped with warm layers, waterproof clothing and suitable footwear. If you are interested in applying for this role, please select the time slot before starting the application process. Volunteering with the RSPB is a great way to meet new like-minded people, learn more about nature, gain experience in conservation, and have lots of fun in the process!