The Scottish Wildlife Trust couldn’t achieve its goals without the hard work and dedication of volunteers, donating their valuable knowledge, skills and time over the past six decades. As we celebrate 60 years of championing Scotland’s wildlife, this blog series will share stories from just a few of the hundreds of Trust volunteers who are making a difference today.

 

From volunteer to employee

The Scottish Wildlife Trust has a long record of promoting from within and through the years have employed countless former volunteers and trainees.

This blog concentrates on 3 recent success stories and show the effect of perseverance, flexibility, hard work, being in the right place at the right time and the value of getting known within an organisation.  It also shows how sometimes taking a “leap of faith” can work.

These volunteer stories show how volunteering builds skills to a point where it is possible to take the next step into paid employment.

 

Beth Harwood – Reserves Project Officer, North of Scotland

 

After growing up and studying in France, Beth was struggling to take the next step into employment (her preference was to find environmental survey work).  She moved to Scotland through an Erasmus+ funded programme and worked on our reserves for 12 months undertaking a variety of practical management tasks.

After her placement ended, her job search was interrupted by Covid.  However, luck intervened when Beth’s supervisor at the Trust moved into another role and Beth became a temporary Reserves Project Officer, managing the same sites she had previously volunteered at.

15 months later, Beth returned to the Trust as the full time Reserves Project Officer in the North.

Unfortunately, Beth is shortly to leave the Trust and moving to a new rewilding project in the highlands.

Thank you and good luck Beth.

 

Josie Gibberd – Tree Nursey Assistant, Coigach

 

Josie has had a long journey from volunteering into paid work at the Scottish Wildlife Trust and has shown a great deal of resilience and persistence in making the switch from unemployed graduate to a career in conservation.

After graduating, Josie quickly became involved in residential volunteer opportunities with the Trust and in 2019 became a summer Volunteer Ranger at Loch of the Lowes.  After a residential opportunity at RSPB’s Forsinard reserve and 8 months on a croft on Mull, Josie returned to Lowes in 2021 as a residential Species Protection Officer, extending her stay at Lowes by becoming a summer Volunteer Ranger for the second time.

Whilst at Loch of the Lowes, Josie heard about a temporary tree nursery assistant at the young but growing tree nursery at Lochinver which grew out of the Living Landscape project in Coigach and Assynt and which grew native trees for local planting projects.  She applied and got the role.

Josie arrived with the thin security of a 3 month contract, but this has been continuously renewed, and now extended to annual contracts.   She has now set down roots in the area and has secured a flat close by.

 

Louise McLaren – North East Reserves Seasonal Ranger

Louise is a career changer who has successfully made the switch into environmental conservation via volunteering.

She was already a member and had enrolled on a conservation course for which she needed the practical experience.

So she approached Scottish Wildlife Trust in 2022 and spent the following 2 seasons volunteering with our previous seasonal rangers in the North East, spending on average 1 day per week with us from April to September.

She worked on 4 reserves: Red Moss of Netherley, Gight Wood, Longhaven Cliffs, Coulnacraig Meadow

The Trust put Louise through a strimmer course which enabled her to better contribute to our work during the growing season.

Given Louise’s previous experience with the Trust, she applied for the seasonal job and got it!  She is now well into her first season in the North East.

Here’s to you all!

 

Volunteer with us

Although a period of volunteering in outdoor roles is typical for those looking to get work experience, it isn’t essential and everyone’s journey is different. Volunteering doesn’t have to be full time, you can fit volunteering around your commitments and availability. Occasional volunteering will still provide valuable skills and experience!

Most of our volunteer opportunities are part time/occasional and all are listed on our website.

For those who are able to volunteer full time, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has a number of recurring annual residential placements in some inspiring locations.