Volunteering

How you can help

There are a range of ways you can help conserve our freshwater environments and keep them clear of invasive non-native species to benefit of our native wildlife. You can get hands-on with some invasive plant removal, adopt a mink raft or trap, keep an eye on your local river and report any sightings of invasive species, or make an individual commitment to undertake more biosecurity actions.

Find out about our most popular volunteering opportunities below.

Volunteering Opportunities

Get involved - help to control invasive plants or American mink in your local area.

Monitor a mink raft or trap

Adopt a raft in your local area and help monitor for populations of the invasive American mink. Rafts will be fitted with a monitoring pad or a live-capture trap.

Plant control (pesticide application)

Help to spray or stem inject invasive plants. This method is used to treat giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan knotweed and American skunk cabbage.

Plan control (manual removal)

Help to control invasive plants through manual removal. This method is used for Himalayan balsam (by hand pulling or using weed whackers) and for American skunk cabbage (by digging) in select locations.

Who can get involved?

We welcome all abilities and all ages. Although our normal minimum volunteering age is 18 years old, we are happy to talk to anyone under 18 years about how we can work with you.

“Do I need any previous experience?” – Not at all!

You don’t need any previous experience to volunteer with us – quite the opposite in fact. Our experienced staff support volunteers through informal training and we can also provide access to formal training qualifications such as pesticide application training. Visit our training page to find out more.

We’d also love to hear from corporate, business, community or youth groups who would like to get involved in carrying out some conservation work in their local community. Visit our Group Volunteering page to find out more.

Want to Volunteer?

If you are interested in any of our volunteering opportunities please complete the on-line registration form. We will then match you with your local contact and they will be in touch.

Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteering is one of the most rewarding things you can do – read about some of the many benefits below.

Connect with nature

Volunteering is a wonderful way to get outside and connect with nature while doing something positive for the environment.

Meet people and make friends

Volunteering can help you to meet new and different kinds of people, make new friends and be part of a community.

Good physical activity

Many people find that physical activity helps them maintain positive mental health. Volunteering can be a great way to be active while doing something positive for nature.

Learn new skills

Volunteering can help you learn new skills, gain experience and sometimes even secure valuable qualifications.

Gain confidence

Volunteering can help you gain confidence by giving you the chance to try something new and build a real sense of achievement. It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself and try doing something different.