If you like to work with people and enjoy getting your hands dirty, these roles might be of interest to you.
Voluntary Wardens
The National Park Authority receives invaluable support from a group of Voluntary Wardens who take part in a wide programme of practical and conservation tasks with their local National Park Ranger. They also provide a valuable link to local communities and often provide ideas for future work in the National Park.
Some examples of Voluntary Warden tasks include:
- Clearing and burning scrub on conservation sites
- Maintenance of rights of way; cutting back vegetation, ditching, maintaining bridges, installing gates, signs, steps
- Tree planting and tree maintenance
- Managing invasive species; pulling Himalayan balsam, cutting and burning rhododendron.
- Hedge banking and fencing work
- Litter picks and clearing of ‘eyesores’
- Monitoring the condition of footpaths or sites
- Helping with surveys of wildlife, visitors or invasive species.
Pathways
Run by the National Park Authority and funded by the Welsh Government, Pathways aims to help more people spend time in the outdoors by providing volunteering, training and learning opportunities in the National Park and its surrounding area.
The project is designed to remove some of the barriers faced by people who want to get out and explore the local countryside and provides transport for many of its activities.
Pathways volunteers tackle practical tasks ranging from footpath repairs, hedgelaying, grassland and woodland management, as well as other conservation projects in and around Pembrokeshire. It is not all heavy physical work – there are tea breaks and you can take it easy if you need to.
Sessions are usually held on a Friday from 9.30am-3pm. The minibus leaves from Pembrokeshire Archives in Haverfordwest.
If you are interested in joining Pathways as an individual, please contact Mitch Hill at MitchellH@pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk or call 07866 771169.
Stitch in Time Invasive Non-Native Species Project
The aim is to significantly reduce the amount of invasive species – specifically Himalayan balsam, rhododendron and Japanese knotweed in and around the National Park. The focus will be on the Castlemartin Corse (the streams that flow into Freshwater West) and the Clydach in North Pembrokeshire. Getting rid of invasive species is a big task, so ideally it would suit community groups within the project areas. Individual help is also very much appreciated. There will be tasks for the practical work, but also for doing ecological surveys and for inputting data.
For more information contact the Stitch in Time Co-ordinator Matt Tebbutt at MatthewT@pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk.
Youth Volunteering
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is a wonderful place that should be accessible to all and can provide great opportunities for young people to develop skills and learn more about nature. This is really important as young people continue to face the challenges of Climate Change, biodiversity loss, rurality and now recovering from Covid-19.
Whether you want to help with hands-on tasks, tackle local and global issues by talking to those in charge or even a bit of both, you can help us change the National Park for the better.
To find out more about volunteering opportunities for young people, visit the National Park Youth Committee and Youth Ranger pages, which unite under the name National Park Next Generation.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Our Rangers run practical conservation sessions for young people completing a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. To find out when and where these sessions are, please contact Dave Sommerville at Pembrokeshire County Council by emailing david.sommerville@pembrokeshire.gov.uk or calling 01437 775235 or 07970 758977.
