Time for change
Since joining as a volunteer two years ago, Laura Payne has been supporting a number of different teams at Earth Trust with the gift of time. Our land management, events and fundraising teams have all benefitted from her support, and as well as a sense of comradeship and improved wellbeing, Laura’s career path has benefitted too…
A connection to place
My introduction to Earth Trust came about a while back, when I moved to Oxfordshire 20 years ago as an undergraduate. Having spotted the Wittenham Clumps on the map, I thought that’s an interesting name, what does that mean? And when I visited, one of the first things I saw was a barn owl quartering over the meadows. I felt a connection to the landscape there that I hadn’t found anywhere else in Oxfordshire at that time.
It was a while later when my real journey to Earth Trust started, when I moved to Didcot. I’d not found it easy to find a sense of place there, because my work was always somewhere else. I was commuting to Slough which meant Didcot felt very much like a dormitory town to me. So I started visiting the Clumps more often.
Making meaningful change
And then a few things started happening all at the same time. I started to become a little disillusioned with the work that I was doing – I have a background in the humanitarian sector but I was struggling with the amount of travel, the workload, and the stresses of that, and I started looking around me and thinking what could I change? What could be a difference in my life that would be meaningful?
I started studying part-time at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales and I’m coming to the end of the second year of my MSc in sustainability and ecology. I’ve met an amazing community of people and they’re all interested in climate change and living more sustainably, which aligns with my values. And I thought that was my route.
But whilst it has been fantastic, and it’s still ongoing, work became so difficult at the time that I felt that I needed to do something more immediately, ahead of finishing my MSc.
Connecting with a passion for nature
I started thinking about retraining, because I felt like my work needed to be the main thing that changed, and I decided to go out and do something connected to my passion for wildlife and the countryside, so I pared back my hours at work to facilitate that.
I got in touch with Earth Trust to find out what I could do and I joined the Friday Land Management volunteer team.
I can honestly say I really found a home with the Friday team, and with the folks at the charity, and I soon branched out and did some volunteering with the education team, became an Earth Trust Ambassador for the fundraising team and I help with the public programming events too.
Earth Trust is where I’ve found a home to connect with my passion for nature.
The rewards of volunteering
For me, I think volunteering has actually saved me.
I was having time off from work because of the stress levels and being able to come every Friday and just work with the land with a great team of people who are generous with their skills and sharing those skills, generous with their time and their help and advice. Being in the outdoors, it’s not just beneficial on a physical level, the mental health side benefits too.
Over the last year or so, I’ve gained new, practical land management skills; scything in meadows to encourage greater floral diversity, coppicing in woodlands to improve habitats for wildlife and I’ve even learnt tradititional hedgelaying techniques with one of the specialist volunteer teams too. It’s been fantastic and I’ve reached out to other charities as well, to build my knowledge, including spending a week with Trees for Life in Scotland planting saplings.
All of this has enabled me to take the first step in changing my career. I was able to use my experience of volunteering with Earth Trust to apply for a role with my local wildlife trust and I’m now employed on a year’s part-time contract as a wildlife conservation trainee, gaining incredible experience and receiving training in key areas like chainsaw work. My hope is that, together with my Earth Trust volunteering, this is a big step in moving me towards that new career. And when my placement ends next spring, I’ll be able to apply for roles as a ranger or a reserve warden.
That’s my goal now, to be able to spend my time, and contribute through my career, to playing a bigger part in making positive change to help combat the climate and biodiversity crises we’re facing.
Why not see where the gift of time can take you?
People volunteer with Earth Trust for a myriad of reasons. To learn new skills or gain work experience, for the social side of making new friends and connecting with others, or to improve their physical health and mental wellbeing.
Whatever your motivation, we can guarantee a rewarding and satisfying experience, whether you join a regular work team or support us on an ad-hoc basis. We’d love to talk to you about joining our volunteer community. Get in touch with us today, [email protected].