THE VOLUNTEERS

Working indoors or outdoors, day-time or night-time, on the reserve or elsewhere, there are literally hundreds of people who contribute to the running of the nature reserve - and derive enormous pleasure, satisfaction and fulfilment from what they do.

Reception duty AWBC
It's all go at the Reception Desk in the Visitor Centre

Volunteering at Rutland Water is suitable for all age groups. Many students have passed their bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards working on the reserve. Others are working to gain an NVQ Level 2 in Environmental Conservation. Many schools and colleges from Britain and Europe send students to Rutland Water for valuable conservation work experience. We can provide very basic accommodation and lots of varied training and experience.

Volunteers working on Lax Hill
Erecting a rabbit-proof fence around a newly coppiced area on Lax Hill - a beautiful morning and a beautiful place to work!

Every year tens of thousands of hours of volunteer time are recorded on the reserve.

Edward and Ron and the new tractor Volunteers using the reserve's new tractor

Other volunteer activities include:

Breeding Bird Survey	Wildfowl counting	Fencing
Hide maintenance	Assisting with educational visits	General woodworking
Reception desks at visitor centres	Bird ringing	Cutting reed bed
Moth trapping	Management committee	Grass cutting
Working at the Bird Fair	Tree surgery	Monitoring Osprey nests
Monitoring bird boxes	Other wildlife recording	Entering conservation data on computer
Maintaining this web site