Stoke Park volunteering days start at 10am. I’m keen, so I get there a bit early and take in the view.
Our rangers send an email the day before with a short description of what we’re doing, and a Google Maps and What3Words link for where we’ll be meeting. Stoke Park covers 270 acres. We meet in a different place every week.
I’ve been volunteering for 3 ½ years and I like to think I don’t need to check the map but … sometimes I still do.
As I get near the meeting point I can see one or two other earlybirds. Other people approach from all directions as it gets to 10am.
We start with a briefing. Our rangers explain the overall tasks for the day and provide some context – the ecological and historical reasons for the work we are doing. Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes it isn’t. Much of the work we do will have an impact in one or two years’ time. And it will be a subtle impact that will combine with other work we’re doing to create an overall positive effect on the landscape, the wildlife, and the ability for the local community to enjoy the park for many years to come.
Once we’ve been briefed, we help to unload the tools and equipment from the truck (all tools, equipment and gloves are provided) and start the task(s) for the day.
Tasks range from butterfly surveys …
To scything …
To restoring cobble lined dew ponds …
To … path restoration, step building, litter picking, clearing invasive species … and many other things. Our rangers do what they can to have a range of tasks available to cater for people’s individual preferences and abilities.
Sometimes we have an expert come in to train us. We’ve been trained on hedgelaying, lime mortaring, scything and fruit tree pruning.
After a couple of hours of work we get to the most important part of the volunteering session – hot drinks and biscuits (decaf, vegan and gluten free options available). As well as being a welcome break, this gives us all a chance to catch up with each other and to speak to the rangers about the management of the park in more detail.
Break over, we return to work for another hour or so, and then everyone gradually disperses back to their day-to-day lives. The rangers stick around to continue the work or move on to tasks that require their specialist skills.
We then all come back next week and do it again.
I’ve done hundreds of hours of volunteering in Stoke Park and I still enjoy it immensely every time I go. If you would like to join us at Stoke Park please sign up to volunteer. Volunteer sessions are 10am-12:30pm every Thursday, and the first and third Saturdays of each month.