Weekly update, 30th May

VOLUNTEERS' WEEK IS HERE! We have lots planned including the thank you BBQ this weekend (get your good luck rituals on the go for no rain please!) and lots of opportunities to come and have a go at something different. Full details about what's going on can be found here and keep an eye out for our 'volunteer voices' on social media.

What the volunteers have been up to:

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 26th May

After three weeks of hard graft the group finally completed the deer fencing on Round Hill by installing the last 12 posts. The group also made a start clearing some of the vegetation along the green lane that runs along the bottom of the Clumps.

Coming up...

The Big Dig, 5th June

On Monday (part of Volunteers' Week) we need all hands on deck to help create some raised beds in the garden outside the Earth Trust Centre. These will be used to grow vegetables by both Countryside Skills students and volunteers. If you would like to lend a hand getting this project off the ground (see what we did there) then drop us a line to the usual address. We need you!

Craft evening, 7th June

With the Summer Picnic fast approaching the first of our craft evenings is coming up next Wednesday. We'll be making all sorts of party decorations, and will provide tea and cake, so let us know if you can join us - no creative qualifications necessary!

Weekly update, 23rd May

We hope you're all well and getting ready for the sun (which is finally out!). We have a couple of shout outs for upcoming events, both of which are in real need of helping hands so if either sound like they might be for you or you would just like more information, let us know.

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 18th May

For this session the group were doing some all important weed control at Radley Lakes - pulling ragwort and thistles to stop them spreading. Not very glamorous but a very important job! One of the volunteers, Mike Towndrow, also sent us some fantastic photos of a very playful fox he recently saw near the site. The next session is on Thursday 1st June.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 19th May

After a delivery of fence posts during the week, the group were able to carry on with the deer fencing on Round Hill. This is vital for protecting the trees from damage by deer. The next session is on Friday 26th May.

Leadership on the Edge, 19th May

We had a fantastic fundraising evening at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History on Friday night, featuring a very inspirational talk from environmental campaigner and polar explorer Robert Swan OBE. The volunteer fundraising committee did an amazing job and we had support on the night from a few volunteers and higher education work placement student Megan. 

Coming up...

Wildlife Wednesday, 31st May

Wildlife Wednesday is nearly upon us again! This time round the fun will be taking place at Abbey Fishponds in Abingdon during half term (Wednesday 31st May, 2pm-4pm). As always, we could really use some volunteers to come and help make this a successful event, helping with running children's activities and welcoming visitors to site. Families have the chance to come and learn about the nature on their doorstep and have fun on this special little nature reserve. Drop us a line to the usual address if you're available. This is one of the volunteering taster session available during Volunteers' Week - find out more...

Summer Picnic, 2nd July

Now the sun is shining, you must be thinking about the summer... And what better way to get out and about than coming along to our Summer Picnic on Sunday 2nd July. Not only is the summer edition of our seasonal festivals but it's also the Earth Trust's 35th birthday celebrations! We really will need an army of volunteers to help make this day a success. As with all our events, any money raised goes straight back into the charity and all the good work that it does, and we really can't do it without you! We need help on all areas of the event including getting cars parked, welcoming visitors through admissions, running children's activities and helping run the pop-up Poem Tree Cafe. Volunteers will be provided with lunch as it's a whole day and will be supported by staff in every area. If you think you can help please let us know.

Weekly update, 16th May

Well summer is sort of almost threatening to come back isn't it?! There's lots going on in this week's update, namely our big push for Volunteers' Week coming up the first week of June so take a look and see what we have planned. In other areas, we are planning a run of craft evenings to create decorations to use at the Summer Picnic on 2nd July so if you're a creative type and fancy an evening of tinkering around (plus cake!) then come on down!

What the volunteers have been up to:

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 12th May

This week the group headed to Round Hill to repair the deer fencing that surrounds the small clump of woodland on top. The fence not only protects new shoots and re-growth from the local deer population, but also stops the cows that graze on the Clumps from getting in and damaging the woodland. The next session is Friday 19th May.

Sunday Group (Little Wittenham), 14th May

There was more fencing going on over the weekend. This month the Sunday Group were protected coppice stools in Little Wittenham Wood and finishing off the fencing on Round Hill. The next session is Sunday 11th June.

Coming up...

Volunteers' Week: 1st-7th (ish) June

Did you know that Volunteers' Week is coming up? It's a national celebration of all the amazing work that volunteers do up and down the country and provides an opportunity to promote volunteering opportunities for people who may be interested in having a go. This year we have a few things planned so it's the perfect time to come and try something new or encourage a friend or family member to have a go...

• Thursday 1st June: Thursday Group
  We're hoping to encourage new faces to join us at Thrupp Lake in Abingdon. Come and try out some practical conservation volunteering. 
• Friday 2nd June: Friday Group
  Another practical group, this time in Little Wittenham.
• Sunday 4th June: Volunteers BBQ
  We're having a BBQ in the Earth Trust garden to thank all our current volunteers for their brilliant efforts over the past year.  
• Monday 5th June: The Big Dig!
  There is a rather unloved vegetable patch in the garden that we are going to extend by building some raised beds and we need all hands on deck to come along and help. Going forward, we'd like to have a monthly group that can use these newly formed beds for growing delicious veg - the weirder and wonkier the better in our opinion but it will be up to you what's planted (and you'll get to take home your fair share). It will be a bit like an Earth Trust community allotment. Anyone who might be interested in such a project or might have ideas on how we could do this one, please do get in touch.
• Friday 9th June - Friday Group (again!)
  One last promoted day to encourage new faces to come along and have a go. 

If you have any ideas that could help get the word out and maybe inspire a few new people, we'd love to hear from you. After all, a huge amount of work that happens here simply would not be possible without you lot!

Craft Evenings: 7th, 14th and 21st June 

The Summer Picnic is coming up on Sunday 2nd July and it's a big one on account of the Earth Trust hitting 35 years old!

We'll need volunteers on the day but as with any party, we're going to need lots of decorations! We are inviting all creative types out there to come and help us make these in a series of craft evenings (7pm-9pm) in the run up to the big day. We'll provide the materials, and some tea and cake to keep you going. We're thinking paper and felt flower garlands, bunting and cosy tent forts for kids story time but we welcome your ideas too. No technical are skills required, just come and have a go!

So if you fancy getting creative along with some, tea, cake and a good old natter (the best bit of craft evenings surely?) then drop us a line so we know how much cake to get baking!

Weekly update, 9th May

What the volunteers have been up to:

Engagement volunteers

First off, we just wanted to say thank you to the recent gang of volunteers who came along to assist at some recent events: Appleford Fete (29th April), Moth Night (6th May) and Go Wild (Sunday Drop-in, 7th May). It was fantastic having the extra help that really ensured that everything ran smoothly and the folk attending enjoyed themselves. We couldn't do it without you so a huge great big thank you!

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 4th May

Lucy and the volunteers were busy finishing off tidying up the vegetation along the circular walk at Thrupp Lake, making access a little easier. They then moved on to thistle pulling in the conservation area. The next session is Thursday 18th May.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 5th May

This week the group were busy over at North Farm (the Shillingford side of our site), installing tree guards around the new trees by the bridleway. The group also said a fond farewell to Warden Steve as it was his last day with the Trust. The next session is Friday 12th May.

Saturday Group (Abingdon), 6th May

Abingdon Green Gym joined the Earth Trust Volunteers for a busy morning's work at Abbey Fishponds. Tasks included replacing old footpath boards, creating a log pile for stag beetles, pulling Himalayan balsam from the fen, and cutting back vegetation along the footpaths. Check out the photos on the Green Gym's blog. Great job guys! The next session is Saturday 3rd June.

Coming up...

Leadership on the Edge: Half price tickets now available!

As you know, we have our exciting event on the 19th May when Robert Swann OBE will be giving a fascinating talk at the Oxford Natural History Museum on his expeditions, his dedication to preserving Antarctica and inspiring our future leaders. We have just released a number of 'lecture only' tickets for half the original price at just £20 and students are also eligible for a further £5 off. These won't be around for long (don't say we didn't warn you) so get booking!

Publicising the 10K Run

Sunday 10th September sees the return of the Earth Trust 10k and we really need help to get the word out! Would you be happy to take some posters/flyers to your local sports club or gym? Perhaps you are in the vicinity of some local shops that might be happy to take some? The more people we have to help spread the word the better chance we have of more people signing up and raising money for our charity. We'd love to hear from anyone who can help out and you can also register your interest to volunteer on the day.

Outdoor Theatre, Wednesday 19th July

Did you hear that we have The HandleBards, the world's first cycling theatre company coming to perform a A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Earth Trust garden on the 19th July? This is an exciting event where people can bring a picnic and enjoy a summer evening of 'gloriously eccentric' outdoor theatre. As with all our events, we really need a gang of volunteers (what is the collective for volunteers? A gang? An army? A troop perhaps? Ideas on the back of a postcard...) to help welcome audience members to the site, get them through admissions, direct them through to the garden, help sell refreshments and be on hand to help make sure this event runs without a hitch! The major upside to this one is that you'll be able to watch (most of!) the play too, so it's a good opportunity to lend a hand and get a dose of theatre at the same time! Get in touch if this sounds like your cup of tea.

From desk bound accountant to assistant shepherd!

William has been volunteering with our Farm Step business Emma's Ewesful Acres since January. He was looking to gain experience with the aim of one day owning his own farm.

"I approached Earth Trust to volunteer to learn about animal husbandry - the goal is for my partner and me to have a small holding sometime in the not too distant future. I saw it as a win/win - I provide my labour and time in return for a learning experience. (I knew a bit about Earth Trust from previous visits to their Lambing Weekends and I also liked their ethos and green credentials).

"I decided to go with sheep due to the timing - I started late January, just coming into the busiest time of the year for a shepherd.

"Since starting volunteering in January, I have learned so much about sheep, sheep health, sheep handling and lambing - I have even birthed a couple of lambs and get to bottle feed the orphans! I have built a good relationship with Emma and she has been fantastic with me - sharing her knowledge and giving me responsibility to 'just get on with things'.

"The two Lambing Weekends were definitely highlights - seeing the look on the faces of the children as they patted the lambs and had their photos taken with them was magical.

"I've gone from desk bound accountant to assistant shepherd! I can't recommend enough volunteering at Earth Trust with a fantastic bunch of people."

Photos by Andrew Walmsley

Weekly update, 2nd May

We hope you all had a lovely long weekend! It's a bumper edition this week with lots going on that all need lovely volunteers to help with. Take a look and if you fancy trying something new, get in touch!

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 27th April

The group had the rather sad task of clearing away the remains of the burnt down bird hide at Thrupp Lake this week. It was subject to an arson attack on Sunday 22nd April leaving nothing but charred remains. The team did a fantastic job and moved on to clearing vegetation encroaching on the circular walk later in the day. The next sessions is 4th May.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 28th April

This week the group were back working in Little Wittenham Wood protecting some of the trees that were coppiced over the winter. If they aren't protected the new shoots will get eaten by rabbits and deer. The next session is 5th May.

Coming up...

Go Wild! 7th May

We would love to have some volunteers come and help at this month's Sunday Drop-in at the Earth Trust Centre. This month children can come and look at what's been caught in the moth traps that will have been set up the night before at Moth Night and have fun with activities and games. It's all about having fun and enjoying nature! These drop-ins really benefit from having additional volunteers to engage with the kids and show them how interesting nature is. If this sounds up your street then please drop Mariel our Engagement Co-ordiantor a line who will be able to fill you in on the details.

Oxfordshire Young Farmer's County Show

This year the show is taking place on the Earth Trust Farm, so we will be there with a stall for people to find out all about us and with some activities for children. It would be fantastic for a few volunteers to come and help run these activities. There will be time during the day for you to have a wander around - it looks like there'll be loads to see and do! Email us if you're able to help out.

Summer Picnic (and Earth Trust Birthday Party), 2nd July

The summer edition of our programme of festivals is coming up and this is a biggie... it's only the Earth Trust's 35th birthday celebrations! We will need an army of volunteers to help make this day a success with plenty of areas that need covering. From welcoming visitors on to site, getting them through admissions, running kids craft activities, helping in the Poem Tree Cafe, to selling ice cream (ice cream!), we need all hands of deck for this festival event to be a success. As always volunteers will be supported by staff and we'll provide lunch to keep you going through the day. Drop us a line at the usual address if you would like to take part.