Meet new people, improve your physical and mental wellbeing, share your skills and learn new ones - all while supporting your local Community Forest. 

Volunteers are a huge part of our team - we couldn't manage our sites without you! We have regular, practical activities for you to get involved in, with something for all interests and abilities. Check out our timetable below - all you need to do is let us know that you're coming along.

We cant wait for you to join us today!

Our summer & autumn activities

Bench maintenance- Every year we sand down and oil all the benches around the Millennium Country Park. This keeps them looking presentable and helps them to last longer and withstand the weather. 

Ragwort pulling- Ragwort is a plant which is toxic to horses and other livestock if eaten. We leave it untouched wherever we can, however we are obliged to control it in our grazing fields and those cut for hay. We prefer to do this without using herbicide if possible, which is why we pull it by hand with the help of our volunteers. 

Woodland edge management - Managing the woodland edge allows more sunlight to the area which encourages flowers and shrubs to thrive, creating ideal habitats for butterflies and dragonflies, and pathways for small mammals. It also keeps the site nice and tidy for our visitors.

Scrub management - We need to maintain a varied age structure within the scrub habitat and create areas of bare ground, as this is important for reptiles and invertebrates such as butterflies and beetles. To do this we remove shrubs from certain areas and burn them.

Meadow raking- Every year we cut our meadows to encourage their wildflower diversity. It is important that we rake and clear the cuttings- if left, they will rot down and enrich the soil. Enriched soil encourages the growth of vigorous grasses and weeds, that outcompete the other (less common) species we are trying to encourage. 

Upcoming activities

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Date	Activity	Location	Meeting place	Start time	End time	Task leader
Thursday 11th June	Bench maintenance Find out more	The Millennium Country Park, Marston Moretaine	Outside the barn, or head to reception if you are unsure	9.30am	3.30pm	Lottie
Thursday 25th June	Ragwort pulling Find out more	The Millennium Country Park, Marston Moretaine	Outside the barn, or head to reception if you are unsure	9.30am	3.30pm	Nicola
Thursday 9th July	Ragwort pulling Find out more	The Grange Estate, Willington	The Dovecote car park	10am	3pm	Frances
Thursday 23rd July	Ragwort pulling Find out more	The Millennium Country Park, Marston Moretaine	Outside the barn, or head to reception if you are unsure	9.30am	3.30pm	Tony
Thursday 6th August	Ragwort pulling Find out more	The Millennium Country Park, Marston Moretaine	Outside the barn, or head to reception if you are unsure	9.30am	3.30pm	Lottie
Thursday 20th August	Bench maintenance Find out more	The Millennium Country Park, Marston Moretaine	Outside the barn, or head to reception if you are unsure	9.30am	3.30pm	Frances
Thursday 3rd September	Woodland edge management Find out more	Gateway Woods, Wootton	Iron Gate Corner entrance	10am	3pm	Nicola
Thursday 10th September	Scrub management Find out more	The Millennium Country Park, Marston Moretaine	Outside the barn, or head to reception if you are unsure	9.30am	3.30pm	Tony
Thursday 17th September	Woodland edge management Find out more	Shocott Spring, Cotton End	Cotton End Forest School entrance	10am	3pm	Lottie
Thursday 24th September	Meadow raking Find out more	The Millennium Country Park, Marston Moretaine	Outside the barn, or head to reception if you are unsure	9.30am	3.30pm	Frances

To help us plan and manage resources it is essential that you register your interest. Please email [email protected] to book on to an activity, or if you have any questions

What you need to know

• All tools are provided for each activity
• Please wear old clothes and sturdy footwear
• Parking charges do not apply when volunteering - please make sure that you give your registration number when you sign in for your task
• Free tea and coffee vouchers for the Forest Centre café are provided
• Activities are subject to change, depending on weather and staff resources on the day

Other opportunities

We have plenty of other volunteering opportunities for you to get involved in, such as being a woodland volunteer, a fundraising volunteer, a visitor engagement volunteer, and corporate volunteering opportunities. To find out more about these roles please email our Community Engagement Officer Jo Roberts at [email protected]

Corporate groups

If you're part of a corporate group and would like to get involved with a volunteer activity, you can contact Robina on 01234 762605 or send her an email for more information.

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