Wilder Coast Volunteer - Oare Marshes & South Swale

Why do we need you?

Wilder Coast Volunteers are ambassadors for Oare Marshes and South Swale Nature Reserves, enthusing visitors about this special place and raising awareness about how people can use the site responsibly and share it with its fantastic wildlife. You’ll be vital in increasing Kent Wildlife Trusts presence on site, helping to protect a sensitive and important reserve and acting as extra eyes and ears for the warden team. 

The reserves are host to very special and unique habitats and the wonderful wildlife associated with it, and the site is popular with visitors. However, an increase in recreational activities has had an impact on wildlife populations, and a wide range of wading bird species that depend on this site have experienced catastrophic declines in recent years and decades. Therefore, it’s so important that, with your help, we raise public awareness of which areas of the reserve have restricted access and why, so that we can halt this worrying decline and make this site a wilder place once again.

A day in your life might include:

• Walking the site and talking to members of the public about the wildlife and the problems that are facing the birds
• Enthuse people about the wildlife and why we need to protect them. Offering friendly advice to people about using the site appropriately
• Monitor any disturbing activities caused by human activity and report back to KWT
• Encourage dog walkers to keep their favourite pals on the lead or under close control when walking along the footpath (and especially in the livestock grazing areas)
• Advise people where to walk during high and low tide.
• Maintain a neutral and friendly stance and attitude surrounding all the site uses

Experience and skills needed for this role

• You need to have a passion for nature and wildlife and a willingness to share the message of Kent Wildlife Trust
• You should be happy to work outdoors in all weathers and willing to work alone as well as travel to these remote sites
• You will need to enjoy meeting new people and not be afraid to strike up a conversation with the public
• You will need to be calm and good under pressure

Benefits and training opportunities

You will receive a full induction and training prior to undertaking the role. Full support will be given to you during the role. All health and safety and lone working procedures will be covered before you undertake the role. The role is flexible and allows you to undertake the tasks on days and times that suit you. 

We hope you’ll get a lot of pride and satisfaction from being an important part of the network of people who work to preserve and protect the site for its wildlife, at a time when nature is in crisis. You’ll meet lots of people and perhaps build relationships with regular visitors, we’ll highlight extra learning and training opportunities and events available to you, and of course you’ll get exercise and fresh air at spectacular location. We’ll register you as a KWT volunteer, so you’ll get our volunteer e-newsletter and other benefits.

Other considerations

• Reasonable expenses can be paid
• Applicants will need to be aged 18 or over
• You will need to be physically fit as some of the grazing areas have rough terrain, tussocks, boggy ground etc. that you need to be able to negotiate