The Link Autumn 2019 The Link Oct-Nov 2019 v2 | Page 10

S urrey Wildlife Trust depends on a small army of enthusiastic volunteers to help manage nature reserves. “This autumn we are looking for local volunteers to join our Practical Conservation Days to make a difference and help protect our beautiful nature reserves, at Bay Pond in Godstone, Priest Hill near Epsom, and Quarry Hangers near Caterham. Joining our Practical Conservation Days requires no previous experience and allows you to learn as you go along.” says Claire Courtier, the Trust’s Community Engagement Manager. The surprising benefits of volunteering for wildlife . . . More Time! More Skills! More Fun! 10 “Our valued volunteers help us in almost every line of our work. By joining our practical conservation days, you could carry out scrub clearance, clear ponds and paths, look after our grazing cattle, and remove invasive plant species and lots more. We couldn’t manage without them.” Happily, the benefits go both ways as research shows that people who have donated their time to a good cause show lower rates of depression later in life. One of the Trust’s volunteers, Robin, finds the steady activity over a number of hours is perfect for him. “Personally this is preferable to the sterility of a gym. It feels great to be working out of doors in such close proximity to nature. The good thing about physical volunteering is that it is usually easy to see the difference that the work has made. There is a real buzz at the end of our session to take a few moments to look and see just what we have achieved; and all in the knowledge that it is to the benefit of maintaining a rare habitat with its particular species of plants and animals” To advertise call 01684 833715 or email: [email protected]