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Welcome to the volunteering news page. Here you can read our latest volunteering news, updates, volunteer stories, and explore opportunities to get involved with us. Whether you’re already a volunteer, or you’re looking for opportunities to join in and make a difference for wild plants and fungi, read our news articles to discover more about what our volunteers get up to and the difference they make to the work we do.
We’d like to say a big thank you to all our amazing volunteers for contributing their time and efforts to help us secure a world rich in plants and fungi. In the last year alone, over 1,500 volunteers have dedicated over 14,800 hours of their time to support our work. That’s the equivalent to 2,115 full days!
Here’s a video message from our volunteer mangers to say thanks for everything you do.
Find out what it’s like to volunteer at one of our nature reserves. Jim is an Ecologist at the walking and cycling charity Sustrans. He decided to spend one of his annual allocated volunteering days helping at our Deep Dale reserve in Derbyshire. He describes his day working in nature.
As a Plantlife volunteer there’s always something you can get involved in. Here’s a roundup of upcoming talks and training opportunities.
Join the Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn (Resiliant Grasslands) project team for this free training event and learn to identify common waxcap species found in semi-natural grasslands.
Date: Thursday 3rd October 10-4pmLocation: Pal Y Cwrt, Carmarthenshire
Come and learn about our work on the Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn (resilient grasslands) project and learn new ID skills. Warm, waterproof clothing, stout footwear and a packed lunch will be required. Limited spaces available, so booking is essential.
This training event is being run as part of the Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn (Resilient Grasslands) project, delivered by the Heritage Fund, on behalf of the Welsh Government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.
Date: Thursday 17th October 10-4pmLocation: Ysbyty Ystwyth, Ceredigion
Join the Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn (Resiliant Grasslands) project team and North Wales Wildlife Trust for this free training event and learn to identify common waxcap species found in semi-natural grasslands.
Date: Tuesday 29th October 10-4pmLocation: Caeau Tan Y Bwlch reserve, Clynnog Fawr, Caernarfon
Learn more about the subjects that spark your interest on Plantlife YouTube channel.
Plantlife – YouTube
Get familiar with ferns! Develop the skills you need to identify woodland ferns and learn more about the history of ferns and their cultural significance in this e-learning course.
Identifying Woodland Ferns e-learning course
Fungi form an important part of grasslands in the UK. With lyrical names like Ballerina waxcap, and Violet coral, these fungi are one of the most colourful and charismatic groups of fungi to learn to identify. On this course you will find out what these vibrant indicators can tell us about the health of a grassland, and how grasslands can be managed sympathetically to protect this globally important group of fungi.
This free self-guided, interactive course is aimed at anyone with an interest in learning about grassland fungi, how to identify them, and best management practices. The 4 units are:
The course supports you to get involved with Waxcap Watch, our grassland fungi citizen science project.
Our Autumn free will writing campaign ‘Your will could do wonders‘ has launched in conjunction with Octopus Legacy and we are delighted to extend the offer to our volunteers. There’s no obligation to leave Plantlife a gift if you use this service, it’s free to create your will no matter what you choose to do, and your decisions are anonymous. Further details will be made available by your volunteer manager, but please feel free to contact them if you’d like to know more. Offer ends 31st October.
Here’s a roundup of some of our featured projects all of which involve volunteers, or will be involving volunteers in the future. This section will be added to over time as we shine the spotlight on our different projects. Be sure to check back in to keep an eye on the variety of different ways volunteers are working with us.
Ann Cantrell, Senior Ecological Advisor (Peak District) – 'With funding from Natural England, we are running a pilot project to monitor some of the Peak District’s rarest plants. This work will help us understand how the populations of these plants are faring across the White Peak landscape, what changes are happening, and to learn more about their needs, so we can better protect them and secure their long-term future. With volunteer support, we will collect data from multiple sites and monitor species to learn about their specialist habitat requirements and the threats they face.'
Dr Rachel Murphy, NPMS Volunteer Manager – ' The NPMS is a nationwide partnership project, supported by hundreds of volunteer citizen scientists, who do botanical surveys every year at their allocated sites. These long-term surveys are providing data that enables us to study the abundance and diversity of plants over time across 30 different semi-natural habitats. Our volunteers have access to an ongoing programme of training and events both online and in person.
Lawrence Harris, Project Officer Resilient Grasslands – 'Our native grasslands in Wales are a huge asset; vital for nature and people to thrive, for food production, biodiversity and to help combat climate change. Our project is working to conserve and enhance some of our most important grassland habitats. Over the next 2.5 years there will be opportunities to help with grassland surveys, take part in land management days, take part in training and take part in the Waxcap Watch anywhere in Wales using our app.'
Sam Jones, Project Manager Cairngorms Rare Plants and Wild Connections – 'This project is in its final few months. Our volunteers have made an excellent effort this summer through some terrible weather to get the last of the hard work done. From watering Twinflower cuttings during an exceptional dry spell, surveying our mob grazing trial meadows in the pouring rain, to watching the flood waters rise and cover our waxcaps during fungi surveys. It’s been an eventful year! Thank you to all volunteers who dedicated their time helping out.'
Ellie Baggett, Project Officer Natur am Byth! – 'Summer 2023 saw the launch of Natur am Byth, Wales’ largest natural heritage and outreach programme to save species from extinction and reconnect people to nature. Through our Welsh Marches project, we’re working in Powys, focussing on rare and fascinating lichens and bryophytes of veteran trees and dry rocky outcrops; communities which are increasingly at risk. Watch this space for upcoming events, training, and volunteering opportunities!'
Louise Senior, People Engagement Officer, Species on the Edge, North Coast – 'Species on the Edge is a collaborative approach to environmental action across Scotland’s coasts and islands. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the programme is overseen by NatureScot with partners from 7 conservation charities. On Scotland’s north coast, Plantlife is delivering work on behalf of Butterfly Conservation, Buglife and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Volunteers can help conserve the Great Yellow bumblebee, Small Blue butterfly and the Leaf beetle, as well as Scottish Primrose, Oysterplant and Purple Oxytropis.
The website and the images on this Volunteer page is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, CC BY 4.0.
The project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to recruit and develop our Digital Volunteers programme.
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