Volunteer with us

>> Joanna: I've been volunteering here at Spud Woods since about 2011. Started off just getting involved with doing some coppicing and then it's sort of grown from there I think the best thing about volunteering with the Woodland Trust is just how they let me get involved and take control of things and we can you know make things happen quite quickly and it's just really nice to feel some ownership or you can make a change in the wood locally.

>> Alison: I took up this volunteering role just over a year ago and had really wanted to get involved in some conservation volunteering activities and this particular role of Woodland Under Threat volunteers is something that could do from home and it would use some of

my skills from a previous working life and would just give me a little bit of intellectual challenge I suppose.

>>Jon: We help with events. The very first event that Hazel got us involved with is the Easter trail and we really enjoyed that and did it again this year we've really enjoyed seeing the children enjoy themselves and come back and tell us what a great time they'd had.

>> Wendy: Yeah, it was good seeing families enjoy the wood in that way because we'd only been here on our own before that really.

>> Liz: I think the Woodland Trust really appreciate their volunteers. I think you get excellent training particularly with Observatree which is good and it's very interesting. You meet other people which is great. Even if it's sort of online you know you've got sort of a network of people who you probably wouldn't normally be corresponding with. You're learning new skills and you just feel like you're contributing you know making a difference to the environment even in a small way.

>> Lionel: So, when you meet people and introduce yourself and there's always an opportunity for a bit of subliminal messaging about different activities and perhaps some of the future planning of the trusts tell you know. I take great delight in that, meeting people, meeting the public educating them you know so every opportunity I get I'm selling the fantastic work of the Woodland Trust.

>> Julia: I've been volunteering here at Fingle for about four and a half years. I just love to see the improvements that have been made here.

>>Julia: And I've been involved for about a year and a half and it's been a fantastic way to get to know different people.

>> Beverley: Just being in this beautiful magical environment the pathways and the tracks and trails you can just get lost in and it's so therapeutic and that's why I do it really to try and help protect this place. Look after it monitor it and I will always do it as long as I can walk.

[Laughs]

>>Jon: We have a great laugh when we're doing anything even when we're cutting down the dying trees.

>> Wendy: And it's nice to feel that you're doing something productive when you come to a place often and you really enjoy it to be able to contribute to its well-being it's just a nice thing to feel.

>> Alison: I think these particular roles are very important in actually raising the

profile of the Woodland Trust west planning officers and I think if we can get enough volunteers to continue to put pressure on. It makes them realise the importance of woodlands and that there are people out there who are actually monitoring what they're doing.

>>Lionel: I think the Woodland Trust make it easy for me as a volunteer. I think that's really, really important. The staff at the Woodland Trust are absolutely fantastic, they make my job as a volunteer easy. Make it enjoyable for me.

>> Joanna: The volunteering I've been doing here it's an important part in my life and it has changed my outlook on things because it's given me something to do that's practical and also gives me a reason to interact with some people I wouldn't normally meet.

>>Julia: Everybody has lots of knowledge so just every time I go out I just learn something new about plants or butterflies or lichens but amazing surroundings as well beautiful place to be.

>>Julia: It's a fantastic place really lovely.

>> Beverley: It's made a difference to me in that I actually feel as if I'm doing something positive to help look after the place and that in itself is really uplifting.