Weekly udpate, 19th December

First off, a huge thank you to all who came along on Friday and enjoyed the festive cheer at the Volunteer Christmas Party! It was wonderful to see so many of you join in the celebrations. It really has been a truly spectacular year for volunteering at Earth Trust with around 210 of you giving your time which I think is rather astonishing! I've said it before and I'll say it again, so much of what happens at Earth Trust simply could not be achieved without our volunteers so a big thank you and here's to an even bigger 2018.

All that is left for me to say is have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Enjoy Doctor Who (I know I will...!) and I'll see you in 2018! The office re-opens on Tuesday 2nd January.

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 14th December

The group were back at Abbey Fishponds last week to finish off the task of laying woodchip on the footpaths - an important job at this time of year. The next session (the last of the year) is on 21st December.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 15th December

Another staple of the winter work programme - the team were back coppicing in Paradise Wood for last week's session. It was the last session of the year as this Friday we're shutting up shop early for the festive period! The next Friday Group will be on 5th January.

Weekly update, 12th December

Hope you're all wrapped up warm and toasty! Thursday and Friday Groups are all systems go this week and with the temperature creeping over to a toasty 'above freezing' layers will as always be a good shout! Many hands have been making fantastic progress on the nature reserves over the last few weeks - we couldn't do it without you.

Looking forward to seeing you later in the week for some festive cheer at the volunteer Christmas party!

Have a splendid week,

Hannah

Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 7th December

Last week the group headed to Abbey Fishponds to continue with laying woodchip on the muddy footpaths, which was started by the Saturday team the previous week. The next session is 14th December.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 8th December

The group took a break from hedgelaying and were coppicing in Paradise Wood last week. The next session is 15th December.

Sunday Group (Little Wittenham), 10th December

The Sunday group were also coppicing hazel in the walnut trial plot of Paradise Wood this month, ensuring the walnut trees have room to grow. The next session is 14th January.

Weekly update, 5th December

Happy Tuesday all! Have we all started our advent calendars yet? There is lots going on at Earth Trust HQ with the launch of our new Friends Scheme! Read on for more details.

Don't forget to let me know if you're coming along to the volunteer christmas get together for a mince pie!

Have a fabulous week,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 30th November

Last week the group were finishing off the task they started the previous week, clearing scrub from one of the conservation areas at Thrupp Lake. The next session is 7th December.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 1st December

It was more hedgelaying for the group this week. It's a really important task as it helps ensure the hedges stay healthy and in good condition for wildlife. The next session is 8th December.

Saturday Group (Abingdon), 2nd December

For this month's work party the group were laying woodchip on the muddy paths at Abbey Fishponds. Hopefully this will make the going a little easier over the winter. The next session is 6th January.

Coming up...

Friends scheme re-launched

We’re really excited to bring you news that last week Earth Trust re-launched our Friends scheme. Offering a new and rewarding set of member benefits, the new Earth Trust Friend scheme is another fantastic way to support Earth Trust and enable us to protect the greenspaces you love.

Along with our wonderful volunteers, our Friends are a vital part of the Earth Trust community, without whom, we simply cannot meet the huge task of caring for our amazing green spaces. With Christmas coming, why not make a Friend of a Friend and give an Earth Trust Friendship as a gift! From just £2 per month for an individual membership, you will receive greater insight into Earth Trust’s work and achievements with a brand new and exclusive member’s newsletter (available by print or email). Furthermore you will receive invitations throughout the year for a varied selection of wonderful events and walks available exclusively to Earth Trust Friends. Visit our Facebook shop to buy online or download a form from our website.

Weekly update, 28th November

Greetings all! Hope you're all wrapped up warm for the next few days! We've got a bumper week of conservation work groups with Saturday Group (Abbey Fishponds) in full swing this weekend (that came around quick!). We also have a brand new opportunity to become a Conservation Group Youth Leader so read on for all the info.

Don't forget to drop me a line if you're coming to the Volunteer Christmas Party. I'm making a shopping list and (checking it twice!) so come and join the festivities with a mince pie :)

Have a cosy week,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 23rd November

After making a start clearing willow scrub in one of the conservation areas at Thrupp Lake in the previous session, last week the group carried on with this rather large task. Keeping this area open makes it great for waders in the winter and ground nesting birds in the spring/summer. The next session is 30th November.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 24th November

It was more hedgelaying for the team last week. This task will take up quite a bit of time over the winter! The next session is 1st December.

Coming up...

Wanted: Conservation Youth Group Leaders

We have a gap in our offering. Several times a week we are asked whether 14-16 year olds can come along to the conservation groups to volunteer, usually to build hours towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award. Lovely! We would love for that to happen but the problem is that our Wardens are already so busy running the day, they can't keep a watchful eye on young folk on top of that. That means that right now, if a young person wants to come along, they need to bring a parent/guardian with them, which understandably can put some people off. So we are looking for is individuals who would like to be that responsible person; it would mean we could accommodate these keen, independent young people who want to get stuck in with the conservation groups. We're looking to run this as a pilot on the weekend groups so either the first Saturday of the month in Abingdon or the second Sunday of the month (usually somewhere around Little Wittenham) depending on availability of interested parties.

This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to gain experience working with young people - maybe those looking at training to be a teacher or you might just fancy having a go at something different! Take a look at the role description and get in touch if you think this might be for you. (This role will require a DBS check).

Weekly update, 21st November

Okay I'm saying it... Christmas! It's my most favourite time of the year and of course this comes with the excellent excuse of having a good old get together... join us for some mince pies, mulled wine (I might even put together some mulled cider because it's delicious...) and festivities. Read on for more info!

Have a glorious week,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 16th November

There was more willow clearing in the conservation areas behind Thrupp Lake last week. By clearing this area annually it remains a great area for feeding waders in the winter and ground nesting birds during the spring/summer. The next session is 23rd November.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 17th November

The team have now started on their winter hedgelaying work; they were working on a hedge line near Paradise Wood. There are miles and miles of hedgerow on the Earth Trust Farm and we rely on our volunteers to help keep them in good condition for wildlife. The next session is 24th November.

Coming up...

Christmas Party!

That's right it's the most wonderful time of the year and a chance for us to say thank you and for us all to get together, relax and let our hair down! We'll be having a festive volunteer celebration over in Fison Barn; there will be mince pies, nibbles and a drop of festive cheer but by all means, if you have a speciality Christmas dish it would be wonderful to add to the table for sharing (entirely optional of course). Don your best Christmas jumper and let's enjoy ourselves! Full details are in this week's Volunteer Bulletin and if you would like to join in the festivities, please do drop me a line so I can get an idea of numbers. Partners are more than welcome to join in too, the more the merrier!

 

Weekly update, 14th November

November is belting through at full speed isn't it?! We're loving the sea of autumnal colours in the trees at the moment, such a beautiful time of year.

As usual, there's plenty of things going on in the world of  the conservation groups so read on...

Have a fantastic week,

Hannah

Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 9th November

Work continued in the conservation areas at Thrupp Lake last week. There was more willow coppicing, scrub clearing and burning to be done. The next session is on 16th November.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 10th November

Last week the group were back on Paradise Wood to continue the winter coppicing work.  They were coppicing hazel within the walnut trial plot. The next session is 17th November.

Sunday Group (Little Wittenham), 12th November

For their monthly session the Sunday team were also coppicing hazel in the walnut trial plot in Paradise Wood - it's a big task! The next Sunday Group session is 10th December.

Weekly update, 7th November

Hope you're all well and enjoyed the double whammy of halloween and bonfire night festivities. Is it too soon to talk about the other big festivity coming up...? I can't wait! (If anyone has any amazing suggestions for my Earth Trust Christmas playlist then I'd love to hear them!)

Anyhow, there's lots coming up this week in the conservation groups and don't forget it's the beginning of the month so Sunday Group will be occuring this weekend; so far, the Met Office thinks it's going to be a bright and lovely day for it!

In other news, Earth Trust are running a Hedgelaying course on 18th-19th November and there are still spaces left. On the off-chance that any of you lovely folk might be interested, or know anyone who might like to try their hand at something new, you can find more information here.

Have a splendiferous week,
Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 2nd November

There was more willow management in the conservation areas for the team last week, including having a bonfire (a bit early for Guy Fawkes!). The next session is 9th November.

Friday Group, 3rd November

The group had a break from coppicing last week and headed over to Mowbray Fields in Didcot. There were a whole range of tasks that needed doing, including clearing scrub, coppicing willow, cutting and raking long vegetation, and tidying up with a bonfire. The next session is back in Little Wittenham on 10th November.

Saturday Group (Abingdon), 4th November

For the November work party the group were at Abbey Fishponds knocking back brambles and clearing tall vegetation that was encroaching along the footpath. The next session is 2nd December.

Coming up...

Trustees Week

Many people aren't aware that Trustees are volunteers too. We'll be profiling some of our fantasic board on social media next week as part of Trustees Week.

Weekly update, 31st October

Happy Halloween! I was looking for a bit of Halloween trivia to add in today's bulletin but instead found this joke far more amusing:

Q: What do you get if you divide the circumference of a jack-o’-lantern by its diameter?
A: Pumpkin π!

Moving on! We have lots coming up on the volunteering front, read on to see what's happening...

Have spooktacular week,

Hannah

Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 26th October

Last week the group were scything willow in one of the conservation areas at Thrupp Lake; this field floods in the winter and keeping it nice and open encourages more wading birds to visit. The next session is 2nd November.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 27th October

Coppicing, coppicing, coppicing! The group were back in Paradise Wood last week for more coppicing. They'll get a break from it next week though when they're off to Mowbray Fields in Didcot for a change! The next session is 3rd November.

Lending a hand

We had three new maintenance volunteer start with us last Wednesday, helping to keep the Earth Trust Centre in good condition - thanks guys!

Coming up...

Oxfordshire Art Weeks

Next May Earth Trust is going to be throwing open the doors to become an exciting new exhibition space for Oxfordshire Art Weeks! We are currently meeting artists and getting plans in place and would love to hear from you if you would like to be involved in a committee to make this an event to remember. Maybe you've had experience of Art Weeks or a similar art exhibition before? Perhaps you'd like to be part of the team to get this event off the ground and build a strong base for the future? Whether you have experience in this area or not, we'd love to hear from you! We're really excited for this one and would love to have some brilliant volunteers on board with us. To find out more, please drop us a line to the usual address.

Weekly update, 24th October

And just like that, we're nearly done with October! Hope you're all well. It's short and sweet from me this week, though we have lots going on with the Thursday and Friday Groups as usual. We're well into the autumn/winter work now and there's plenty more to get done!

The snap above is possibly my favourite 'in action' shot of Friday Group ever! Not a bad life eh...

Have a splendid week,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 19th October

The group were at Thrupp Lake finishing off cutting back the vegetation on the circular walk, putting down some woodchip, fixing the bridge and starting on some coppicing. The next session is 26th October at Thrupp Lake.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 20th October

The coppicing continued in Paradise Wood this week. This woodland is a vitally important resource for researchers and this kind of work is crucial to keep it in good condition. The next session is 27th October.

Coming up...

Half term is happening!

Half term is well underway but we're still after extra pairs of hands if you can spare a few hours. Please get in touch if you can help with Wildlife Wednesday at Neptune Wood or Discover and Play (Friday 27th).

Weekly update, 17th October

It's officially coppicing season - hooray! There are some that would say this is the best part of the conservation calendar, where we get into serious lopping and chopping to manage our woodlands and enhance biodiversity. It's a good time to get stuck in with the groups if you haven't given it a go before and no prior knowledge is required, just bags of enthusiasm!

Never heard of coppicing before? The good old RHS gives a handy definition: "Coppicing is a pruning technique where a tree or shrub is cut to ground level, resulting in regeneration of new stems from the base." It's hugely important for our woodlands and we couldn't get this done without the help of you lovely volunteers. We provide all the tools and safety equipment so why not pack a lunch and come on down to try something new?

Have a super week,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 12th October

The team were back at Abbey Fishponds carrying on cutting back encroaching vegetation along the long footpath and scything and raking in the fen. The next session is at Thrupp Lake on 19th October.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 13th October

After intending to be scrub clearing on Round Hill there was a last minute change of plans and the group were called upon to start coppicing in Paradise Wood. It's important to keep our research woodland in top condition. This was the last work party for our Land Management Apprentice George who has reached the end of his one year apprenticeship with us and is off to start his new job in the next few weeks! The next session is 20th October.

#EnviroLeaders

It's been great to have your support over the last couple of weeks - please keep liking, sharing and retweeting our #EnviroLeaders posts, it's really helping to spread the word and raise awareness (and funds!).

Coming up...

Half Term

The Engagement Team could really use some extra help for our upcoming half term activities:

• Mud Pie Mania, Tuesday 24th, 10am-11.30am 
• Wildlife Wednesday at Neptune Wood, Wednesday 25th, 2-4pm 
• Discover and Play, Friday 27th, 10am-12noon

These are super fun sessions supporting children and families enjoying the great outdoors and getting up close with nature! If you're a fan of fun then get in touch at the usual address.

Weekly update, 10th October

Hope you're all keeping well in this beautiful autumnal weather! A great big thanks to all who came out for the bumper four days of conservation groups last week, you got a huge amount done.

A huge thank you for getting involved with our Environmental Leadership campaign on social media; your likes and shares really help us increase our reach and they are much appreciated. This week we’re introducing some of the people who work with and support Earth Trust, so look out for a few familiar faces! If any of you are willing to be profiled on social media, please do get in touch as we’d love to hear from you.

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 5th October

The group were back at Abbey Fishponds to finish cutting the Daisy Bank area, add in a drainage channel along a small section of rather boggy footpath and make a start on the fen cut. Thursday group is back to its weekly occurrence now we're properly into the cooler season, so the next session is 12th October.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 6th October

The long task of clearing scrub on Castle Hill continued last week - great effort everybody! The next session is 13th October.

Saturday Group (Abingdon), 7th October

The team were joined by Abingdon Green Gym at Abbey Fishponds this month. The main task was cutting and raking the reed/sedge in the fen areas of the reserve. The next session is 4th November.

Sunday Group (Little Wittenham), 8th October

Yet more scrub clearing and burning on Castle Hill for the team this month! The next session is 12th November.

Coming up...

#EnviroLeaders

Please continue to support our Environmental Leadership Scheme! Next week we're going to be asking everyone to get involved by sharing why they're an Environmental Leader so please do post your own 'I am an Environmental Leader' photo and help raise awareness (and donations!).

Weekly update, 3rd October

Autumn has well and truly arrived and it's a busy old time... It's a bit of a bumper week for conservation groups next week - it's one of those funny months where the first Saturday and second Sunday of the month are in the same weekend so there's a double barrel of conservation goodness on the way! Plus it's the launch of our Environmental Leadership Scheme this week. 

Read on for all the latest news and have a fabulous week.

Hannah

Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 28th September

Last week, Adam and the group continued with the scything and raking of the grassland areas at Abbey Fishponds, focusing on Daisy Bank which runs through the centre of this enclosed little reserve. As we're moving into the autumn/winter work programme the team is going to be meeting every week, so the next session is 5th October.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 29th September

There was more scrub clearance on Castle Hill last week for George and the team, ensuring the ramparts keep looking like ramparts! Sturdy footwear was required as they are quite steep in parts. The next session is 6th October.

Autumn Water Festival, 1st October

A HUGE ginormous thank you to all of you who came and helped out on Sunday at the Autumn Water Festival. A lovely day was had by all and even the weather held out in the end so good work on the offerings to the sun gods folks! We really couldn't have done it without you! (I say that a lot but it's true...)

Coming up...

Environmental Leadership Scheme

Thanks for all your interest in this week’s launch of our Environmental Leadership Scheme. There’s lots happening on social media and our JustGiving page is now open for donations! We really hope you will support our work protecting important greenspaces and helping people connect to nature. 

It would be especially great if you lovely people would help us out with some 'micro-volunteering': by sharing, commenting and liking (or maybe even loving?!) our posts on Facebook, and retweeting on Twitter. It makes a huge difference to the numbers of people who can see our posts so please, if you do just one thing this week, help us expand our reach and share away!

You can also join in by posting a photo of yourself holding an 'I am an Environmental Leader' sign on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, using the hashtag #EnviroLeaders!
 

Weekly update, 26th September

We hope you're all well! Just five more sleeps until the Autumn Water Festival! Thanks to everyone who has been in touch to say they can lend a hand - your briefing will be on its way to you very soon.

In other news we have our Environmental Leadership Scheme officially launching next week so we thought we'd fill you in on what's planned so you can see how you can get involved. Read on for more info.

Enjoy the autumn sunshine and have a superb week!

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 22nd September

The scrub clearing continued on Castle Hill this week - it's a big job but really important to keep the Scheduled Ancient Monument in good condition. The next session is 29th September.

Coming up...

Environmental Leadership Launch

Next week Earth Trust will be launching our Environmental Leadership Scheme to the public. As Earth Trust volunteers, we think you are all Environmental Leaders: joining us in our mission to get people outdoors enjoying, experiencing and understanding nature. That’s what Earth Trust’s Environmental Leadership Scheme is all about, supporting the range of opportunities we provide for people of all ages to experience nature, and understand how they can play a proactive role in its protection and preservation.

We’ll be asking the public for their support and donations to help us continue our work and we would be immensely grateful if you could help get the word out amongst your friends and family. Please like, comment on and share our social media posts (look out for #EnviroLeaders), visit the webpage (launching later this week) and if you feel able to make a donation, we would be very grateful indeed to have your support.

Weekly update, 19th September

Good news from Community Reserves Warden Lucy this week: the memorial bench installed with the help of volunteers at Abbey Fishponds recently is already frequently being used by visitors - good work everyone!

Read on for our one big ask of the week... can you guess what it is?!

Have a great week,
Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 14th September

For this session the team headed to Abbey Fishponds to work on the grassland areas. They used scythes to cut the grass before raking up.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 15th September

Scrub clearance continued on Castle Hill for another week. This is a long task but worth it to keep the Iron Age ramparts in good condition.

Coming up...

Water you doing on Sunday 1st October?

Can you believe it's just under two weeks till the Autumn Water Festival?! If you have Sunday 1st October going spare then we would love to have you on board helping out at this exciting day out. We're expecting double the number of visitors from the Summer Picnic so it's a big one! We'll need a small army of you brilliant lot to have fun with visitors and make it a day to remember. We'll need helping hands on children's craft and game activities, the running of the water rockets being launched across the Clumps, Poem Tree Cafe will be open for refreshments, admissions will need smiling faces to welcome visitors... there's something for everyone!

As with all our festival days, volunteers can expect to be part of a friendly and enthusiastic team. We'll feed you lunch on the day and keep everyone going with oodles of cups of tea and maybe even the odd biscuit. If you would like to be part of the fun, please drop me a line. We need you! If you have any preference to where you would like to be stationed do just let me know - we do our best to take that into account when getting the schedule sorted.

Weekly update, 12th September

A huge great big thank you to everyone who came and helped make the Earth Trust 10K a success. We really couldn't have done it without you! All the runners and entrants in the children's fancy dress race had a great time.

Have a great week everyone!

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Friday Group and Sunday Group (Little Wittenham), 8th and 10th September

Last week the groups were clearing scrub on Castle Hill and tidying up by burning the cuttings. Clearing the vegetation helps conserve the Iron Age ramparts.

10K Run, 10th September

A team of volunteers helped ensure this year's Earth Trust 10K ran (no pun intended) smoothly! We had helpers registering the runners and volunteer marshals across the site. Thanks for giving up your Sunday morning guys!

Coming up...

Autumn Water Festival

There's still plenty of time to let us know if you're able to help out on Sunday 1st October! Activities this year will include water rockets, pond dipping, mini rafts and apple pressing.

Weekly update, 5th September

Autumn is here! Schools are back! Normality is restored!

It's a busy week here as we get ready for the exciting Earth Trust 10K and Children's Fun Run on Sunday. Thanks to all who are coming to lend a hand - further information is on it's way to you so keep an eye on your inbox.

Have a great week everyone!

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 1st September

Adam and the team finished of the fencing on Castle Hill before moving on to a seasonal task - September heralds the start of scrub bashing season! The main task was starting the annual scrub clearance around the Castle Hill ramparts. This work helps to keep this scheduled ancient monument intact and is stipulated by English Heritage. The next session is 8th September.

Saturday Group (Abingdon), 2nd September

The group got stuck into long list of tasks to carry out at Abbey Fishponds last weekend, including: cutting and raking the grassland/reed in front of the largest of the ponds; pulling any Himalayan balsam left in the reedbed/fen areas & the stream; cutting back encroaching vegetation from the main footpath through the reserve; litter picking; and more! The next session is 2nd October.

Coming up...

Autumn Water Festival

Don't forget to let me know if you're available to help out at this year's Autumn Water Festival. Join us for a fun-filled aquatic adventure on Sunday 1st October! 

Weekly update, 29th August

Phew! What a scorcher of a weekend that was! I hope you all had a lovely bank holiday and are refreshed and ready for September.

Thanks to all who got in touch to help at the Earth Trust 10K next Sunday (10th September). There's still time to sign up, if you haven't already, to lend a hand to make this event run (no pun intended) smoothly. If you can spare a few hours next week to pop in and help with preparations that would also be very much appreciated - there are medals to make, goody bags to fill and signs to laminate! Drop me a line at volunteering@earthtrust.org.uk. In other news get your diaries out as we have a big upcoming date that needs your help! Read on for more details.

Have a great week everyone!

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 24th August

The group had a very busy day at Thrupp Lake last week: they cut and raked St David's Meadow, cut back vegetation encroaching on the circular walk, and installed a memorial bench. The next session is 14th September.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 25th August

George and the team continued with their work to replace fence posts on Castle Hill. The deer proof fence prevents deer and cattle from getting on to, and potentially damaging, the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The next session is 1st September.

Coming up...

Autumn Water Festival

A big date coming up for the diary is Sunday 1st October which is our fantastic Autumn Water Festival - our annual autumnal celebration of water and wetlands. As with all our festivals, we'll need a small army of volunteers to help with a whole range of areas including welcoming visitors to the site, running children's craft activities and games, helping in Poem Tree Cafe and more! It's set to be a fun day and whether you could spare your whole Sunday or even just a few hours, pencil us in and drop me a line.

Weekly update, 22nd August

Happy Tuesday! Hope you're doing well and getting geared up for the last long weekend of the year!

Just the one major call out this week, scroll down for info...

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 18th August

Last week the team were out on Castle Hill replacing some fence posts. The deer fence is important for keeping large animals, including the cattle, from damaging the scheduled ancient monument. The next session is 25th August.

Coming up...

Earth Trust 10K and Children's Fun Run

The 10K Run is fast approaching (Sunday 10th September) and we could really use pairs of hands to help out on the day. We need helpers to get the runners signed in in the morning, marshals on the course to cheer participants along the way, and last but not least help handing out the goody bags when they finish. If you might have a few hours to spare to help us make this a fundraising event to remember drop me a line! 

Weekly update, 15th August

How are we all doing? Missing summer? We sure are! Not that a bit of cloud or rain ever stopped us... The vast majority of organised volunteering and activities go ahead whatever the weather so stick an extra layer on and come try something new!

Why have I started this post with a picture of an adorable pup you ask? Scroll down to the 'Coming up' section to find out!

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (normally Abingdon), 10th August

Last week the team took a break from the Abingdon reserves and headed to Mowbray Fields in Didcot to give the meadow a summer cut. Grassland management is important to help maintain conditions for all the wildflowers, including orchids, that grow here. The next session is 24th August.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 11th August

It was the last of the weed control sessions for the group last week. They were working on Bushey Bank pulling thistles ahead of it being cut for hay. Bushey Bank is an area of chalk grassland that benefitted from the UK's first formal biodiversity offsetting agreement. The next session is 18th August.

Sunday Group (Little Wittenham), 13th August

This month the group were working over at the North Farm part of our site. They were removing an old electric fence and clearing the fence line in one of the fields, in preparation for a new fence being installed. This is the last field on the Earth Trust Farm without a permanent stockproof fence so once the new fence goes up it will be able to be safely grazed. The next session is 10th September.  

Coming up...

Calling all responsible dog walkers!

Do you use any of our sites to walk your four-legged friend? Perhaps you come regularly to enjoy the space and natural settings while getting your canine companian exercised and thoroughly worn out? You could be perfect to help shape our proposed Earth Trust Good Dog Walking scheme. The aim would be for Earth Trust Good Dog Walkers to be identifiable (with a badge or similar) when out walking their dog, and for them simply to model to others what responsible dog walking looks like and to answer questions from others who might be interested in finding out more. The hope is that we can create a positive culture of responsible dog walking across our sites by setting an example of how it's done.

We’d like to consult with some dog walkers about our proposals before launching a pilot scheme: 7.30pm on Thursday 17th August. If you’d be willing to spend an hour or so of your time helping to shape our Good Dog Walker scheme please contact Clare Sulston or 01865 409404. If you can’t make the meeting but would still be interested in being part of the scheme please still get in touch, and do share the information with any of your friends or relatives who are regular visitors.

Weekly update, 8th August

It's Volunteer Blog day! We had a super busy day at Come out and Play in Cholsey yesterday with lots of happy families and small humans enjoying the fun and activities we had to offer. I was also in attendance and had this awful task for a while...

...It's a tough job but someone had to do it.

We still have a whole calendar full of kids activities with the summer holidays still upon us that could all really benefit from volunteers - we're a staff member down after a dislocated knee within the team, (ouch!) so take a look below and see if you fancy having some real life fun in the real life outside!

Until next week, have a good one,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 4th August

The team were over in Paradise Wood last week collecting logs produced from the winter thinning work. Paradise Wood is a national research woodland so it's important that it's kept in the best condition with regular maintenance. The next session is 12th August.

Saturday Group (Abingdon), 5th August

Wellies were required for Lucy's monthly work party at Abbey Fishponds on Saturday. The group were pulling Himalayan Balsam from the reedbed and fen, plus cutting and raking the grassland areas and trimming the encroaching vegetation from the footpath. With Abingdon Green Gym in attendance too it was a busy day! The next session is 2nd September.

Coming up...

Summer holiday activities

Dates for this week's super fun kids activities that could really use some spare pairs of hands:

• Wednesday 9th August: Wildlife Wednesday at Wallingford Castle Meadows: A chance for families to come and explore the nature on their doorstop and enjoy lots of games and activities. 
• Friday 11th August: Discover and Play: Forest School for under-5s in Little Wittenham Wood. 
• Tuesday 15th August: Night Safari: Families can come and see wildlife by night at Mowbray Fields and help set up live traps ready for Wildlife Wednesday the next day. 
• Wednesday 16th August: Wildlife Wednesday at Mowbray Fields: see above. 

Still more to come so stay tuned next week! Take a look at our events listings for more info or email us.

Weekly update, 1st August

Happy Tuesday! Check out this smooth newt that Mike our excellent volunteer got a snap of from Thursday Group at Abbey Fishponds last week! I love things like this so keep the photos coming folks! The more cute and diddly the better...

This week we continue in the quest for help at children's activities - we really need the extra pairs of hands! If you think might be able to help out, that would be properly brilliant - see below for more details.

Have a wonderful week,
Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 27th July

The group visited Abbey Fishponds last week and put their scything skills to the test in the grassland areas. They were also pulling invasive Himalayan balsam from the reedbed and fen. The next session is 10th August.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 28th July

Friday Group were back on Round Hill last week continuing with the fencing task. There was also some scything action for this group too as they cleared vegetation on the green lane by Church Meadow. The next session is 4th August.

Coming up...

The summer holidays continue...

It's a lot of fun volunteering with our Communications and Engagement Team who run our programme of children's activities! It's a chance to get outside, try something different and enjoy games and activities with young folk. There's a lot to be gained and we hugely value any extra help we can get with these activities. We have the following that still really need some helpers:

• Monday 7th August: Come Out and Play in Cholsey
  This is 10am-2pm at Cholsey Pavilion and is the last of our free sessions supported by Whittard (through TOE2 with funds raised by the 5p plastic bag charge). We will have natural craft activities, bug hunting, nature detective trails, small mammals and moths plus Sasha Norris and her rescued animals (previous guests have included owls, rabbits and hedgehogs). We would be very grateful for any help setting up from 9:30am and could stick around until 3pm to pack everything away. Bring a packed lunch with you and we'll ply you with all the tea/coffee and biscuits you can manage! 
• Tuesday 8th August: Woodland Adventure
  An expedition for 5-8 year olds to use detective skills to explore, build and play in the woods. If you could arrive for 9:30 and stick around till midday that would be cracking. 
• Wednesday 9th August: Wildlife Wednesday at Wallingford Castle Meadows
  Again this is a 9:30am start and if you could help out till around 1pm it would make a huge difference to the running of the day. 

More dates to come as August progresses! Take a look at our events listings for more info and get in touch if you can join us.

10K Run

A quick reminder that we still need lots of helpers for the Earth Trust 10K in just over a month's time (Sunday 10th September). If you're interested in cheering on and directing runners as a marshal, handing out water at the water station or presenting finishers with their medal and goody bag, get in touch! We'll also be looking for volunteers in the run up (no pun intended) to the day - we'll be making the medals, preparing goody bags and getting signage ready in the few weeks beforehand.

Weekly update, 25th July

Happy Summer Holidays! The kids are loose and finally free for a whole six weeks... Did you know that our Conservation Groups are open to ages 14 and up if a guardian comes along? So if any of you would like to bring along a son/daughter/young relative while school is out, just drop me a line so I can send you the relevant permission form. Young adults (age 16/17) can come along independently as long as we have a signed permission form. So now you know! It could be something different to try while summer is here and there is time to pass...!

Have a fab week,

Hannah

Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 21st July

Last week the group were over at the North Farm part of our site (near Shillingford) doing some weed control in Ferry Field. Quick growing thistles, ragwort and dock were all removed which will give other wildflowers a chance to flourish and make it much easier for the sheep to graze! The next session is 28th July.

Helping hoist a flag!

Our volunteers' hard work at Wallingford Castle Meadows is definitely paying off... this lovely local reserve has received an incredible 10th consecutive Green Flag! It's also been awarded Green Heritage Site Accreditation for the fourth year running. Great work everybody!

Summer holiday events

As you know, the summer holidays are officially underway - last week we kicked things off with Woodland Adventure, Tree Climbing and a Night Safari at Thrupp Lake, to name but a few. See below for upcoming opportunities to help out!

Coming up...

More summer holiday events!

Drop us a line if you're able to help with the August Sunday Drop-in (6th) - the always popular Pond Dipping - or the Woodland Adventure for 5-8yr olds on Tuesday 8th. Plenty more activities coming up too...!

Weekly update, 18th July

Thank you to those who are coming along to help out at the outdoor theatre event tomorrow, it's set to be a dry evening (good luck rituals and dances are still appreciated) and we can't wait to see the show! Please get in touch if you haven't had your briefing email from Hannah.

As we all now know, Alison will be leaving us this week, with her last day being this Thursday. We all wish her the best of luck in her future endeavours!

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 13th July

It was the last week of weed pulling for the Thursday Group volunteers. They've done an excellent job of pulling thistles and ragwort at Thrupp Lake. The next session is 27th July.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 14th July

Last week the group were out fencing (installing posts, not fighting with swords!). They were replacing posts for the stock fence that runs along the green lane from Church Meadow around the base of the Clumps. This fence makes sure the cattle that graze on the Clumps don't wander where they're not supposed to! The next session is 21st July.

Coming up...

Summer holidays on the horizon!

It's nearly school holidays o'clock and that means there are lots of holiday drop-ins coming up, for kids to come and get stuck in with a bit of fun and nature. This means and lots of opportunities for volunteering! These sessions really do benefit from the addition of volunteers. No prior experience is needed, we're just looking for folk that are energetic, enthusiastic and enjoy having fun with the smaller humans! For starters we have the following dates coming up:

• Tuesday 25th July: Woodland Adventure
• Tuesday 25th July: Night Safari at Thrupp Lake
• Wednesday 26th July: Wildlife Wednesday at Thrupp Lake
• Thursday 27th July: Oxfordshire Play Association Play Day at Blackbird Leys

If you're available or would like to find out more about what's involved just get in touch.

Volunteer carpenter needed

Across the Earth Trust Farm we have 35 pedestrian gates, 75 vehicle gates, 16 benches and 22 information boards, as well as bird hides, boardwalks and countless other wooden structures. With over 150,000 visits to the site every year, they are well used! We’re looking for someone who’d be able to help us with carrying out ongoing repairs on the various structures. Someone with woodworking skills and experience would be fantastic as well as a more general practical skills and a 'can do' attitude. We can provide space in our workshop, tools, any PPE needed and lots of cups of tea! The work would make a huge difference to the Trust and the visitors to our site. If you’re interested please drop us an email.

Weekly update, 11th July

What the volunteers have been up to:

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 7th July

It was back to weeding for George and the team last week - they were pulling thistle, ragwort and dock from Ferry Field at North Farm. The next session is 14th July.

Sunday Group (Little Wittenham), 9th July

This month the group got to visit Bushey Bank. Bushey Bank is a fascinating part of the Earth Trust Farm - it's an area of chalk grassland that benefitted from the UK's first formal biodiversity offsetting agreement. Work was carried out in 2013 and within a couple of years our surveys showed that things had already vastly improved for wildlife. The bank is fully of different wildflowers and plants, including pyramidal orchid and wild licquorice. Adam and the team spent the day doing some weed control, which helps to keep the right balance of species. The next session is 13th August.

Coming up...

A Midsummer Night's Dream

This is our final call for volunteers to help with A Midsummer Night’s Dream next week. On Wednesday 19th July, The HandleBards pedal-powered, all-male theatre troupe arrive by bicycle at the Earth Trust Centre and we're still looking for a few more volunteers to help with ticketing, car parking and assisting people to the seating area. Drop us a line if you want to see (most of!) the show for free! Let's hope the weather gods are smiling on us next Wednesday... And if you or your friends and relatives are planning to attend the performance you'd better be quick, there's only around 40 tickets left! 

Farewell from Alison

"It is with sadness that, as one of your two Volunteer Development Managers, I need to say farewell. I’m off to pastures new at the end of next week to help some of the low carbon community groups in and around Oxford. It has been an absolute pleasure meeting so many of you at events and out with the Land Management Team. My favourite memories of the Earth Trust will be the fun and productive times I’ve had with our wonderful volunteers!"

Weekly update, 4th July

What the volunteers have been up to:

Wallingford Green Gym, 27th June

Warden Lucy was joined by Wallingford Green Gym at Wallingford Castle Meadows on Tuesday for some meadow management.

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 29th June

It was a continuation of the weed control in the conservation area at Thrupp Lake for the team last week. It's not glamorous pulling thistles and ragwort but somebody's got to do it! The next session is 13th July.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 30th June

George and the group were collecting timber from Little Wittenham Wood to store for the winter. Our wood-burning boiler heats the office and centre buildings during the colder months so this is a really important job! The next session is 7th July.

Summer Picnic, 2nd July

A HUGE thank you to you lovely volunteers who came and helped out at Sunday's Summer Picnic. The site was looking gorgeous thanks to the mountain of hand crafted decorations made at the craft evenings last month and we think the effort really paid off! We got super lucky with the weather too with the sun coming out for families to have a lovely chilled out afternoon with us. We had party hats and placemats, campfire popcorn, singing and dancing, smoothies, music making, tea, birthday cake and ice cream and NONE of this would have been possible without you. So, once again, thank you... and please come and do it all over again at the Autumn Water Festival on Sunday 1st October!

Coming up...

Are you handy?

We're in need of some extra pairs of hands to help us keep the Earth Trust Centre looking in tip top shape. The list of tasks is ever growing and we just don't have the people power to tick things off it! We're talking grounds maintenance, a spot of fixing things up (e.g the bike shed roof), keeping the gardens and car parks looking neat and tidy and, most importantly, safe. If this sounds like your kind of thing, drop us a line to the usual address.

10K Run

In case it's dropped off your radar, don't forget the Earth Trust 10K is on Sunday 10th September. If you'd like to help promote this event by distributing flyers or posters please get in touch. We'd also like to hear from anyone who's interested in being a marshal on the day. And if you'd like to participate don't forget to sign up!