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.