The Lost Peatlands Project strives to provide a variety of opportunities for people to engage with our work programmes. Consequently, as Community and Education Officer for the project, when asked by my teenage daughter, Eleri, “what can I do this summer?” I suggested that she volunteer for the project and spend the summer clearing Balsam. It’s fair to say this suggestion wasn’t met with quite the enthusiasm I had hoped for, despite the promise of being thanked for her efforts with cups of tea and biscuits.
Following some online research though, it became apparent that the volunteering conservation tasks offered by the project would contribute towards the ‘conserve’ element of the John Muir Trust Discovery Award. With the far more exciting prospect of working towards a recognised award, Eleri was motivated to submit a proposal to the John Muir Trust and, upon having her proposal accepted, she became a volunteer with the project. Below, Eleri shares her experiences.
“Until volunteering for the Lost Peatlands project, I’d never visited the Afan Valley in Neath Port Talbot or the Rhonnda Fawr Valley in Rhondda Cynon Taf, and I’d certainly never volunteered to undertake conservation tasks before! But last summer I did both and had a great time doing so.
I learnt that Himalayan Balsam is a non-native species and that it’s invasive. I helped to pull out this plant, which although quite pretty, is taking over large areas on the project’s sites and outcompeting other species of flora. I took part in a bat survey and helped Mike and Joey, the project’s Ecologists, to count the number of times bats flew over an area; this was an amazing experience, walking along the forestry tracks in the dark. I also assisted in the recording of species at family Wildblitz events and discovered a fascinating shield bug!
The opportunity to visit new places, learn about conservation and meet new people helped me to achieve my John Muir award. The completion of the Discovery Award and my involvement in volunteering supported my college application to study A Levels. I would definitely encourage everyone to give volunteering a go!”
If you would like to discuss our volunteering opportunities or explore how they may provide benefit for your personal goals, please get in touch. Our events page outlines all our current volunteering opportunities, so come along and meet the team.
By Sarah Reed (Lost Peatlands Community and Education Officer)
