Volunteer stories

Our wonderful community of 300 volunteers are involved in all areas of our work.

Hear from some of our team about why they volunteer, what they do and their experience of getting involved with Earth Trust.

Our latest Meet the Volunteer blog posts

  • Building a picture of butterfly numbers: An exercise in applied mindfulness

    Volunteer butterfly surveyor Adrian talks about how patience, and paying attention in peaceful surroundings lie at the heart of successful transects

  • The rewards of outdoor learning volunteering

    Find out how education volunteers are supporting our education outdoor learning programme

  • Time for change

    For Laura Payne, volunteering with Earth Trust has not only provided a sense of connection to the land, but it's been the kick-start for taking her career onto a new path too.

  • Worklife balance meets weekend volunteering

    Volunteering that fits with a busy worklife brings a welcome boost of fresh air and exercise, and a chance to connect with nature.

  • Cultivating a greener future

    Toby Marchant is sharing his wealth of gardening skills and plant knowhow as our Garden Volunteer, helping to develop the Earth Trust Kitchen Garden as an immersive teaching resource.

  • Satisfying that sense of purpose

    Volunteer Debbie Lewington shares how a search for a sense of purpose led her to Earth Trust.

  • Every day’s a school day

    New volunteer Erica Fairhurst shares her experience of volunteering, and learning, with Earth Trust.

  • The spice of volunteering life

    From counting sheep to frothing coffees, volunteering variety at Earth Trust has been the spice of life for Sally.

  • Meet the volunteer foresters

    A new team of volunteer foresters are helping assess our woodlands, to promote biodiversity and access to nature, and enable research and local enterprise.

    • As part of my journey to better my mental health, I was encouraged to spend as much time in nature as I could. So, that’s what I did. Volunteering for Earth Trust has given me my life back, as well as a huge sense of achievement.

  • Sharing our story

    Trevor Stevens plays an important role as the voice of Earth Trust in the community, engaging with visitors at our green spaces.

  • Keeping the programme running

    Supporting our office-based teams is a critical role - Julia helps to keep our volunteer programme running!

  • Volunteers keeping our woodlands wonderful

    At Earth Trust, with the help of our Land Management volunteers, we coppice our woodland on rotation to nurture the trees and enhance biodiversity.

  • A guide to our volunteer tour guide!

    Andy Heelas joined Earth Trust as a volunteer in February 2020 and leads guided tours of Earth Trust's green spaces.

  • Meet Earth Trust’s volunteer hedgelayers

    Around Earth Trust Farm, community reserves and even in our car parks you may notice that many of our hedges are “laid”. We spoke to three of our hedgelaying volunteers, Bill, Martin and Mike, to find out more.

  • Capturing wonderful wildlife

    Gemma is a Volunteer Photographer at Earth Trust. We're privileged to have such a skilled artist on hand to capture and share some of our activities and landscapes.

    • Get in touch with the team

    Complete our volunteer enquiry form - we'd love to hear from you!

  • A world of opportunities

    Retirement often opens up a world of possibilities. Liz and Mike share their story of how they discovered the value of volunteering with Earth Trust.

  • Counting and conserving bird life at Earth Trust

    Birds are a great indicator species of healthy landscapes, and counting is a simple way to see the effect of conservation schemes – especially at this time of year.

  • Modern biodiversity monitoring

    Meet Matthew Wilcoxson, a long-standing volunteer and newest member of the biodiversity monitoring project team.

  • Volunteer profile: Chris Phillips

    Four years ago Chris Phillips became a Trustee. "As a retired head teacher, I have taken a keen interest in the environmental education programme at Earth Trust".

  • Volunteer Profile: Steve Nixon

    Earth Trust’s land management volunteers share their time and passion to help care for our natural green spaces for everyone to enjoy. Steve is a Butterfly Surveyor and Volunteer Warden at Wallingford Castle Meadows.

  • Volunteer Profile: Mike Towndrow

    Conservation and maintenance volunteer Mike explains why he regularly volunteers at Earth Trust in his spare time.

    • Volunteer Mike Cornfield interviews our CEO

    Watch the film here

  • Volunteer with Earth Trust

    Become an Earth Trust volunteer and you’ll be part of a dedicated team, passionate about making a difference for people and planet.

  • Volunteer benefits

    Earth Trust is a friendly, positive and collaborative place. We run a year-round programme of events and activities, exclusive to our volunteers.

  • Our Values

    We are a values-led organisation, committed to putting People at the heart of Connection to nature, and Learning together to Make change happen.