Wildlife & woodland voluntary work

[Green Phoenix]

Hi all, what a great forum/website this is... I'm looking for people interested in voluntary work in Ceredigion, Wales. I am managing a small woodland as a nature reserve and am organising a few workparties this summer if anyone is interested?

Lots of different work to be done including;

Wildlife monitoring (butterflys, birds, insects), biodiversity studies, creating habitats (reptile hibernation site), bird/bat boxes, brash hedges etc, general woodland work including thinning tree's, making space for more native tree's, hedge planting, creating tracks etc etc

We can provide you with food and drink etc and have a camping area that evryone can use. For people who don't fancy camping theres avery good b&b a minute up the road and numerous places to stay within a short distance.

The woodland is near Bronant which is between Aberystwyth and Lampeter near to Tregaron.

Ok if you would like to know more please give me a shout

Cheers

Scott
Green Phoenix

[jasongallier]

I'll kick the ball off by saying I'm not averse to some manual labour for a good cause.

It might be prudent to PM me nearer the time as my memory resembles a sieve

I'll be quite happy camping.

Jason G

[Green Phoenix]

Hi Jason, just in case you didnt/dont get my message to private box...

Many thanks for the reply to my post re voluntary work, the main work party looks like been in late July through most of August, many different things to be done from wildlife monitoring, physical work through to photography for website and posters etc ...

Let me know what kind of stuff your interested in doing and if late July/August might be good for you, if you send me your email add I can add you to the mailing list so you will know whats happening etc..

Many thanks

Scott
Green Phoenix

[tufftie]

I'll be wwoofing from May timeish but might make an interesting break. can you pm me with a website or something? and also prod me nearer the time!

[Green Phoenix]

ok, good stuff, heres the site: Green Phoenix - Welcome page, if you join mailing list, I'll send you password to access members area, you can then see any dates for workparties etc. Will keep you on list anyway and send you post nearer time also..

Cheers

Scott
Green Phoenix

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Green Phoenix

Hi Jason, just in case you didnt/dont get my message to private box...

Many thanks for the reply to my post re voluntary work, the main work party looks like been in late July through most of August, many different things to be done from wildlife monitoring, physical work through to photography for website and posters etc ...

Let me know what kind of stuff your interested in doing and if late July/August might be good for you, if you send me your email add I can add you to the mailing list so you will know whats happening etc..

Many thanks

Scott
Green Phoenix

Not wishing to critisise but you shouldnt be doing thinning work etc in july/august , as many birds will be having second broods etc. I run a volunteer scheme in central england and we only ever do woodland work from october to february for this reason. (its also better for the trees to do the work while the sap is down.)

That said if you were running a winter work task weekend I'd be willing to come out to play if i'm available - I'm a countryside profesional and am fully chainsaw qualified (NPTC 30-36) , and have my own saw and equip.

[tufftie]

Originally Posted by eeyore

I'm a countryside profesional

What's one of them then eh?!!!

Agree with you not the time of year for any scrub bashing work etc.

[ron1863]

I would love to volunteer but I live in Scotland and would welcome something similar nearer me

[Green Phoenix]

Hello all, thanks for interest and replies, re the thinnning I think you perhaps have to look at all the factors and look at land issues case by case to know what should or shouldnt be done. I of course agree that generally speaking work should not be undertaken during the nesting season. We have three main area's that we never work in during nesting which are;

Sitka Spruce plantation, smaller compartment of Sitka and another area of Sitka with scrub, non of these are managed during the nesting season. The area in question is pre-thicket stage Sitka Spruce which is to be converted to native woodland, really cleaning and thinning to allow natural regeneration of the next several years and planting where appropriate depending on situation.

It is a mine field really to get everything right especially when altering land drastically, not to do more harm than good. Another example of when work is sometimes done during nesting season is perhaps the construction of a pool on an area that has scrub and there are millions of creatures inhabiting that space, the trouble is theres always going to some creature making use of the space at all times of year so if your site is more important for reptiles in one perticular area and supports few bids perhaps you should avoid work when the hibernation period is? Its just not clear cut to say that some shouldnt be done, so many factors to consider and unless you have looked at the land intimately its not easy to call. Certain things are of course right, I wouldnt dream of managing the area the way I am if it was native tree's with hi diversity, the fact is that the woods is supporting less and less with every season and all light will be blocked out. All the trees to be managed are non native sitka at the moment...anyway I must go have been burgled this weekend and just been told that the police are here! If anyone is still interested in helping out do give me a shout and I hope you understand that I am doing things in a very sustainable way here without leaving any stone unturned as to best practise....thanks

[Green Phoenix]

Hello again, I'll keep this piost shorter so I don't go on a rant! Just wanted to add that area'sd that I do manage during the nesting season are area's that have been monitored and where no nesting has been previously found and its all managed by hand so no brushcutters/chainsaws at this stage so it really is very carefully planned are carried out. The problem with using the nesting season as the central theme is that it doesnt take into account what are the key species in the area and exactly what the habitat make-up is.

Our woods is managed under the "Better Woodlands for Wales sceheme" and we have had good input from The Forestry Commision, Biodiversity officers at Ceredigion council, Wildlife Trust, The British Dragonfly Society, The environment Agency etc, just to reassure any one who might be interested in helping out that they won't be playing a part in damaging habitats!

If you have a very important species of beetle nesting on your site I think you are much better of thinking of the beetle when planning operations and so on... anyone who is interested in winter work though is very welcome to help out as you pointed out much of forestry work is carried out in the dormant season and this is when we will be carrying out felling and larger thinning of the Spruce...

Manay thanks..

Scott
Green Phoenix