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Remembering HRH Prince Philip

16 April 2021 by maria

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the recent passing of our patron His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness took the position as patron of The Conservation Volunteers (then the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) in 1970, as the charity became independent.

As condolences and tributes from the charities His Royal Highness was patron of and the people who knew him best, it is clear that he will be remembered for his pioneering work to bring environmental causes to the public’s attention as early as the 1950s.

As our Royal Patron, he took an active interest in our work to connect people and green spaces: presenting out first ever Green Hero Awards in 2016, visiting Dersingham Bog Nature Reserve to observe a TCV scrub clearance project in 2013; and granting a private audience to our Chief Executive and Chair in 2018.

TCV team members and volunteers who met His Royal Highness at Dersingham Bog Nature Reserve recall how lovely he was to all those at the event and how genuinely interested he was in the work the volunteers were carrying out.

The Duke of Edinburgh visits a TCV conservation project at the Dersingham Bog Nature Reserve, on the Royal Sandringham Estate, Norfolk on 30th September 2013.

His Royal Highness’ interest in the work of The Conservation Volunteers pre-dates his patronage. Back in July 1960, he paid a visit to National Trust site Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, and spoke with a group of Conservation Corps (now TCV volunteers).

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh visits National Trust site Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire and speaks to Conservation Corps (now TCV) volunteers. July 1960.

Outside of the work of TCV, the Duke co-founded the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which is today the world’s largest conservation organisation. In addition to this, the Duke’s most successful legacy will be The Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Originated in 1956, the award has helped millions of young people in over 140 countries prepare for adulthood by providing them with a ‘do-it-yourself growing up kit’, as described by the Duke himself. This understanding that through vocational work and activity, young people can gain skills that will help them throughout their life is something TCV shared with His Royal Highness

After his death, our Vice President Sir David Attenborough remembered His Royal Highness as “an admirable man” who was “vigorous” in his conservation work. At The Conservation Volunteers, we will remember our patron as one of the first people to use his platform to be a vocal and influential activist for conservation and climate change around the world.

“The conservation of nature, the proper care for the human environment and a general concern for the long-term future of the whole of our planet are absolutely vital if future generations are to have a chance to enjoy their existence on this Earth.”

His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Australian Conservation Foundation, Canberra, in April 1970

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Prevent ticks from becoming a pest

25 March 2021 by maria

Ticks can be found throughout the UK but there are certain sites and areas that carry a greater risk.

Ticks like dense vegetation, moisture and humidity, and hosts (animals). Habitats such as woodlands, grasslands and moorlands are traditionally higher risk areas, particularly where there is deer or livestock grazing.

Yet this does not mean that urban areas are safe from ticks. Urban parks and gardens are also green spaces where ticks can be found. This risk is likely to be established where there is abundant livestock for adult ticks to feed on.

What are ticks?

Ticks are tiny, spider-like creatures that live in woods and areas with long grass. Ticks do not fly and they do not jump. Instead they attach themselves to the skin of an animal or human that comes into contact with them. Once a tick bites into the skin it feeds on blood for a few days before dropping off.

Ticks and Lyme disease

Lyme disease is bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks. An early symptom of the disease is a circular red rash around a tick bite, similar to a bullseye.

Only ticks that have already bitten an infected animal can pass Lyme disease on to humans. Not all ticks are contagious but it is important to know the risks and how to prevent infection.

The rash is one of the most common symptoms of the disease, but not everyone develops it. Visit the NHS website for more information on symptoms and treatment of Lyme disease. 

Bullseye rash often associated with the early symptoms of Lyme disease. Source BBC.

How to prevent tick bites

We cannot get rid of ticks and we still want to get out in green spaces, so it is important to remember that preventing tick bites is all about education and good preparation. Here are the minimum requirements that TCV teams and volunteers adopt to reduce the risk:

  • Learn how to identify ticks, how to remove them and how to reduce the risk of bites.
  • Educate everyone you are working with so they are aware of the risks too.
  • Take extra care when working in long grass and vegetation – use clearly defined paths and take rest breaks away from long grass.
  • Wear light coloured clothing to help spot ticks.
  • Wear long trousers and long-sleeved tops.
  • Tuck trousers into socks as an extra precaution.
  • Check yourself at regular intervals and after working outside.
  • If a tick bite occurs remove it as quickly as possible – the longer the tick remains on the host, the high the risk of disease. But remember you need to do this the correct way – see next point!
  • Ensure a fine pair of tweezers or a tick removal tool is on your kit when working outside and someone in your group knows to remove the ticks successfully.
  • Avoid high risk sites where possible – especially in the spring and summer.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of preventative measures. We have out together this handy infographic to help you as well.

Infographic to prevent bites from ticks

This tick prevention toolkit from gov.uk is a good place to go next to find out more about prevention and Lyme disease.

To find out more about the work TCV does to protect our team and volunteers from the risks of working outside, head on over to our website to find out more. Or why not sign up to our monthly newsletter Greenzine to keep up to date with the latest news and advice from TCV.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Stop our green spaces becoming rubbish.

17 March 2021 by TCV Blogs Editor

Our local green spaces can soon be enjoyed with family and friends once again after months of separation, as lockdown restrictions begin to ease. This new level of freedom is celebrated by many across the UK, however for our environment it signals the sign of a new epidemic.

Last summer the relaxation of lockdown regulations saw a dramatic increasing in littering and fly-tipping across the UK. People spent more time outside, yet failed to recycle or clean up after themselves, leading to extreme amounts of rubbish littered in public green spaces.

While it was fantastic to see so many people appreciate nature and their local area – and we hope this momentum continues – we were saddened to read that the top four littered items in the UK were all easily recyclable, according to Planet Patrol’s 2020 ‘Extent of Litter in the UK’ report:

  1. Plastic packaging
  2. Drinks cans
  3. Plastic bottles
  4. Plastic fragments

The same report suggests that a shift to an ‘on-the-go infrastructure’ in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has meant that many of our green spaces are overwhelmed with their bin to litter ratio. This is something the report refers to as ‘poor binfrastructure’.

Our new measurement is…rubbish.

As part of our ongoing work to better understand the impact of our work, The Conservation Volunteers now measure the amount of rubbish collected during volunteering sessions.

Many of our teams and volunteers are involved in removing litter from sites and this is now something that we are doing on a significant scale across all our regions.

Last year between April and July, councils across the UK collected an average of 57 tonnes of additional waste on top of the usual amount according to Keep Britain Tidy.

When asking our teams to add what other tasks they complete aside from the environmental impacts we already measure, collecting litter was the most recorded. This ranged from an office chair through to general litter with 20 bin bags as the highest amount collected at one site. It is becoming a standard task in our volunteering sessions.

With much time being dedicated to collecting litter, it prevents our volunteers from spending time and effort into preserving our natural environment and making their local communities happier and healthier. 

How you can help.

The most important step we can all take to tackle the littering problem within the UK is simple…don’t do it!

If a bin is full, hold on to your rubbish until you find one that is not. You may not realise that the bin won’t be emptied for some time and your sandwich packet could quickly fly off to a stream or get caught in a hedgerow.

This will reduce littering, but better still is to take it home to separate out into your recycle bins. A soggy coffee cup might not feel appealing to carry around with you, but remember the huge difference your small efforts can make to the environment.

sdr

Even better still, take the step of finding a recycle bin out of the equation by cutting down overall waste.

Why not try using reusable bottles, cups, and containers? Single-use items have been favoured during the pandemic to stop the spread of COVID-19, however with lockdown rules lifting and hygiene standards that have been adopted still in place, these can still be used in a hygienic manner.

If you want to join in the battle against litter, as well as committing to reducing and recycling, join your local TCV volunteering group. Speak to your local office to find activities that involve socially-distanced litter picks, or see if there is a TCV Community Network group near you.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Pole to Pole and back again, then around the world (twice)!

17 March 2021 by ralphwalker

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) are delighted to be selected as Wates 2018-22 Charity of the Year partner.

To celebrate the fantastic achievements of the Wates Group #PoletoPole challenge teams, we asked Peter Hutchings, TCV Fundraising and Partnerships Manager, to share the story of this world-encompassing expedition.

The challenge

When Wates came to us with the idea in January to launch a fundraising challenge to walk from Pole to Pole (12,440 miles), virtually, over the month of February. At first, I was pleasantly surprised, we had no expectation, given the challenging Covid pandemic, that any fundraising would be going on at all.

Secondly, I thought “how are we going to pull this off with only a few weeks to prepare?!”

I should have known with Wates, I had nothing to worry about.

The original Pole to Pole challenge video.

What next ensued was a huge, heroic effort from Wates.

In particular, a shout to Mark Tant MD (for the idea) and Emma Gruenbaum (for running with it and pulling it together), a small army of Wates Charity Champions and the marketing team, who really turned it around in a short space of time.

Before we knew it, we were hosting a launch webinar

We had hundreds of people tuning in to kick-off the challenge.

A massive thank you to United Heroes, who we partnered with to facilitate the functionality of the challenge and track the miles; their app is super easy to get on board with and very user-friendly.

To have 100 people involved would have been a success, but to have 332 people sign up just blew us away.

It meant that, in just over a week, they had collectively already completed the challenge that was meant to make take the whole month!


Around the equator

So, we wanted to see how far they could make it by the end of the month. In no time they had made it back to the North Pole, and so, we set them off to go round the equator.

Along the way, we shared facts about climate change issues affecting the countries passed on their virtual journey.

Every milestone they passed we shared information about how Wates, TCV and the individual participant can make small changes at home to help combat climate change…

A whopping 43,139 miles were covered, just a few thousand off going round the earth TWICE (that’s around 91,109,568 steps in case you were wondering)!

What’s was so fantastic about this challenge is how it really embodies what TCV is all about; people collectively coming together (albeit virtually), getting out into nature in their local area and improving their own health and wellbeing.

That’s why we we’re so chuffed to hear from one of the participants Angie…

“Taking part in the Pole to Pole has really helped me with my road to recovery.

Back in September I had a fall and tore ligaments in my right leg, this meant that my much-needed daily walks/runs came to an abrupt halt. Although I could continue to work from home, I did very little exercise for months which had a knock-on effect on my physical and mental health (although I didn’t realise it at the time!).

Fast forward to the end of January when I received the information from Mark Tant – I think it was just what I needed, I was really inspired to take part in the team challenge. It was great to feel part of the team and having the leader dashboard was fantastic.

Although I had a very slow start, seeing everyone’s progress really spurred me on to do a little further each day – I noticed all the lovely wildlife and enjoyed the birdsong too.

It’s helped me immensely; I’m now exercising regularly and enjoying the great outdoors again. I’m taking part in an exercise challenge throughout March with my family which is great fun and keeping us connected in lockdown.”

Angie, Pole to Pole Challenger

The prizes

Of course, it was a collective challenge, but they do like a bit of a competitive element at Wates.

The challenge was not only about the super-fit-fitness-folk, who’d clock up the miles with no difficulty.

We designed 5 winning categories that were inclusive, with every participant in with a chance of winning a prize…

The five Pole to Pole prize categories and the winners.

The total figures

Needless to say we were completely amazed by the final numbers and in awe of the collective effort the team had made…

The Pole to Pole challenge final figures – 43,149 miles!

Thank you from The Conservation Volunteers

I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone for getting on board with the Pole to Pole challenge, raising money for The Conservation Volunteers and our charitable aims of connecting people and green spaces for the benefit of communities and the environment.

I feel with this challenge we did just that!

Peter Hutchings

And finally a word from our CEO:

“I am absolutely amazed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the remarkable team at Wates, who have refused to let COVID stand in the way of their fundraising efforts for The Conservation Volunteers this year. 

A pole-to-pole walk, of more than 12,000 miles felt incredibly ambitious when they set off on this challenge, and yet they have absolutely smashed that target, clocking up more than 43,000 miles. 

Every pound of the £25,048 raised supports our vital work at a time when so many of us are dependent upon local green spaces for free access to nature, exercise and connecting safely with others.  What a team!”

Darren York, CEO of The Conservation Volunteers


Keep up to date with the latest news and activities from The Conservation Volunteers by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or head on over to our website for more.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Conservation, conserve, corporate, CSR, environment, Green Gym, greengym, healthy, help, humans, nature, planet, practical, saving, volunteer, volunteering

Green prescribing is changing the face of healthcare.

3 March 2021 by TCV Blogs Editor

The events of 2020 have highlighted the importance of being outdoors to people’s mental and physical health.

Many people found solace in taking walks in their local natural environment and escaping the unnerving and unprecedented reality the world was slowly adjusting to.

It allowed people to recognise how social, economic, and environmental factors affect our health.

Greenwich Ecology Park, London. A green space thriving in an urban environment.

Medication alone would have been unlikely to provide a sustainable improvement to the levels of anxiety around the world. People and their community were at the centre of getting through these times successfully.

It is this idea of people and community that is at the centre of social prescribing. Patients who have long-term conditions, need support with their mental health, are lonely or isolated, or who have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing create a personalised treatment plan with their link worker.

This plan focuses on what matters to them, and that might be a dose of nature, which is where TCV comes in.

Learn more about TCV Green Gym and meet some of our volunteers.

Green social prescribing

Social prescribing works by enabling all local agencies to refer people to a link worker. Read more about how social prescribing works here.

There are a vast range of programmes that link workers can prescribe to people under the social prescribing umbrella, one of those being green prescribing.

The Social Prescribing model from NHS England.

Green social prescribing links people to nature-based programmes and activities such as TCV’s Green Gym, health walks, community gardening and food-growing projects.

“The Conservation Volunteers have given me a reason to get up in the morning and keep myself active and healthy while putting something back into my local community.”

Pat, TCV Green Gym volunteer.

A link worker may prescribe someone struggling with social isolation to their local Green Gym, which are fun and free outdoor sessions that focus on health and fitness with a practical conservation project.

By encouraging a person struggling with social isolation to take part in an activity that not only benefits their mental and physical health but their community too, they build a sense of belonging and make friends along the way.

“For me, the social and community aspects of volunteering have been the most notable. Years of isolation had severely blunted my ability to interact with people socially, but Green Gym has provided a safe environment for me to relearn the skills I’d lost.”

Mark, TCV Green Gym Volunteer

Participants of Green Gyms have shown an average of 20% improvement in cortisol awakening response, the body’s ‘fight-or-flight hormone’. The same study showed that Green Gym participants reported higher levels of well-being and lower levels of stress.

Trust Me I’m a Doctor – Green Gyms Proven to Reduce Stress

Social prescribing and TCV

The positive impacts of connecting with nature and connecting with your local community are why link workers encourage green social prescribing for patients.

“There are very powerful, multi-sensory stimulation from being in contact with nature. We get that from the sounds of the birds; visually and aesthetically from the different textures, the different colours, the feel of the soil, the feel of the different plants, the smells that are constantly around us.”

Dianne Keys, TCV Operations Leader – Northern Ireland.

With programmes such as Green Gym and our work in social prescribing , TCV looks forward to developing green prescribing as part of a healthcare revolution that continues to have a positive and significant impact on the healthcare sector.

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CHILDHOOD AND NATURE: our children’s changing relationship with the natural world and how to kickstart a life-long appreciation

26 February 2021 by ralphwalker

The Conservation Volunteers Vice President, Sir David Attenborough once said, “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced”. He was referring to the natural world and the fundamental importance of people engaging with nature to first make a connection, to then understand it, to then want to protect it.

This rings true at all levels, from a toddler searching for a woodlouse on a log in his/her local patch of green space, to an adventurous zoologist researching Lemon Ants cultivating their so-called “devil’s gardens” in the Amazon Basin. Once we experience something and make a connection, we develop a fascination, we begin to care.

This has been an objective of The Conservation Volunteers for many years. Since 1959, our mission has centred around connecting people of all ages with their local green spaces, for the long-term benefit of wildlife, community health and, increasingly, our unsettled climate.

“This rings true at all levels, from a toddler searching for a woodlouse on a log in his/her local patch of green space…”

But children in the UK are spending less and less time in nature, opting for more time playing indoors and using computer screens and televisions to learn, perhaps about the natural world, or perhaps more likely, what’s en vogue on TikTok.

Whilst we recognise the challenges that the UK lockdown and homeschooling presents – with many TCVers in the same situation – we can’t ignore the startling statistics that we can help to change:

  • Children spend less time playing in natural places, such as woodlands, countryside and heaths than they did in previous generations. Less than 10% play in such places compared to 40% of adults when they were young. Source: Natural England

  • On average, Britain’s children watch more than 17 hours of television a week: that’s almost two-and-a-half hours per day, every single day of the year.

    British children are also spending more than 20 hours a week online, mostly on social networking sites. Source: National Trust
  •  As children grow older, their ‘electronic addictions’ increase. Britain’s 11–15-year-olds spend about half their waking lives in front of a screen: 7.5 hours a day, an increase of 40% over a decade. Source: National Trust

And on the flip side…

  • Children who spend more time outside (and more time noticing nature / wildlife) are more likely to report that ‘being in nature makes me very happy’ (91% and 94% respectively, compared to 79% of those who had spent less time). Source: Natural England

Its stats like these that motivate us in our work to connect people with nature, whilst improving our local green spaces for all the community to enjoy.

“…cherished hours spent investigating local wildlife, collecting conkers, making dens and, most importantly having fun.”

It’s also why we have created these resources (including bug hunting, den building, scavenger hunts, gardening activities and more), to help parents encourage their children to kickstart and nurture a relationship with nature, one which can then hopefully flourish into a little more unguided fashion of cherished hours spent investigating local wildlife, collecting conkers, making dens and, most importantly having fun.

… and this all leaves parents with a little more time. Time to perhaps log on to work for those who are homeschooling or perhaps to simply have a moment’s peace and a cup of tea.


Take a look here for our activity resources and crank up your children’s passion for the natural world.

And for those who have (re)discovered your local green spaces during the UK lockdown, think about ways to add these activities to your weekend routine and instil this passion in your children for years to come.

https://www.tcv.org.uk/getinvolved/activity-resources/

Keep up to date with the latest news and activities from The Conservation Volunteers by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or head on over to our website for more.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: btcv, children, Conservation, conserve, environment, food, gardening, Green Gym, greengym, healthy, hedge, hedges, help, humans, involved, kids, nature, planet, planting, plants, play, practical, saving, shelter, tcv, tools, tree, trees, volunteer, volunteering, wildlife

How players of The National Lottery supported charities through lockdown.

24 February 2021 by TCV Blogs Editor

TCV Health Development Manager Rachel Hoyes shares with us how a COVID relief grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has supported TCV groups across the UK during the pandemic and various lockdowns.

I think everyone can agree that the past year has made us all appreciate our wonderful local greenspaces.

TCV’s weekday volunteering teams often support management across many sites and these sites were heavily used over the first lockdown. However, they suffered from the lack of ongoing habitat and site management that our hard-working teams provide.

TCV was delighted to receive a grant of £140,800 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support TCV to start addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our heritage.

This fund has enabled TCV to get nine of our mid-week volunteer teams back up and running, and supported work on three TCV sites.

Over the six months of funding more than 385 individual volunteers have leant a hand, creating over 13,129 hours of volunteer work.

Funding also supported extra staff time to deliver volunteering sessions and ensure that sites and equipment were COVID safe. Teams also bought extra tools and cleaning equipment with the funds.

Mid-week teams

TCV’s midweek teams in Essex, Norfolk, Birmingham, Leicester, Hastings, and Stirling have carried out essential conservation work including clearing invasive scrub on wetlands, cutting and raking wildflower meadows, coppicing in woodland, and clearing duckweed from ponds.

Other work has included fencing for grazing cattle, building footpaths to prevent erosion, and working with local community groups to build raised beds and benches.

TCV Stirling mid-week group strimming at their local community centre.

London

Stave Hill Ecology Park restarted their regular Wednesday volunteer sessions and thanks to the grant funding have introduce two new volunteer days on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

These extra sessions enabled volunteers to work socially distanced and catch up on missed site work.

“One of the most important outcomes has not been the work itself, but the impact of that work on park visitors. The park has had a huge increase in visitors, and although damage was not deliberate, there was some negative impact.

The volunteers’ highly visible presence demonstrated to visitors that this was a site that was valued, that people worked to create this space that visitors were discovering for the first time. Volunteers were a key means of communication, explaining the work being carried out and guiding visitors into site-friendly behaviour.

This has been an immense benefit for us, the wildlife and the local community.” 

Rebeka Clark, Senior Project Officer, Stave Hill Ecology Park

As a result of the volunteer work after lockdown, Stave Hill was also approached by Jasmine Faulkner from the Ida Girls.

Jasmine told us that the ecology park had been a lifeline whilst she had been unable to work. She wanted to give something back and proposed a small free concert.

We were able to successfully (and safely) host this event as we had a team of volunteers who were used to working within COVID-19 restrictions and had all been issued with individual PPE. The concert was very well received amongst the local community, who thanked us for lifting spirits.

Safety hats and kit for volunteers at Stave Hill Ecology Park, London

Glasgow

The Glasgow team used some of their funds to deliver popular online training and resources. This supported volunteers who were not able to join group activities to keep active outside and continue volunteering.

Hedgehog surveying proved particularly popular gaining 19 volunteers. A series of ‘Green Monday’ talks aimed to lift people’s spirits on ‘Blue Monday’ attracted over 205 attendees at each session.

Schedule for TCV Scotland’s ‘Green Monday’.

Manchester

In Manchester funding supported habitat work with the midweek team, as well as aiding the continuation of a gardening project supporting people with learning disabilities to gain skills and increase their health and wellbeing.

“One volunteer usually fills his week with volunteering with TCV and attending social groups for other autistic people. Unfortunately, this year, his social groups were cancelled due to COVID-19.

When we resumed volunteering, he was so grateful to be back. Volunteering gave him the opportunity to able to see people outside of their family and get a break from pacing the halls of their house!”

Ruth, Senior Project Officer
TCV Manchester volunteer Chris tamping new pathway.

Northern Ireland

Funds in Northern Ireland supported midweek volunteering in Belfast, funding staff time to aid the group to get back up and running and supporting the work of the Clandeboye Tree Nursery.

Pre-COVID the Clandeboye Tree Nursery garnered over 120 volunteering hours per week, supporting the expert team of two TCV Project Officers to produce over 70,00 native trees per year.

In March 2020, all volunteering was suspended resulting in the main work force leaving their posts at a critical time of the tree growing season. There had also been an unexpected requirement to relocate the site.

This fund has supported volunteers to relocate the tree nursery to a new site and safely prepare over 120,000 bare-root trees for planting projects across Northern Ireland.

Clandeboye Tree Nursery volunteers made local news in Northern Ireland.

York

For the team in York, the funding enabled them to welcome back volunteers at the Hull Road Park project. When volunteering resumed, volunteers were eager to return as many are older and living alone and found the isolation and inactivity detrimental to their health.

Over the Christmas and New Year period, the fund aided the team to continue engaging with those volunteers to rely on regular interaction outside of their immediate household.

From the start of the current lockdown in early January, this engagement has been via a weekly ‘catch up call’. The team and volunteers exchange ideas and suggestions for activities they can do at home or in their gardens, such as The Big Garden Birdwatch.

This has kept volunteers engaged ready to start volunteering again when they can.

TCV York volunteer at Hull Road Park project.

South Yorkshire – South Yorkshire Community Woodlands

South Yorkshire Community Woodlands consists of numerous locations across Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham covering 550 ha.

With funding the team have extended the contract of one of their Wardens, who has been a fantastic help in replacing damaged signs, clearing up vandalised areas, keeping sites clean, and helping the team improve the quality of local green spaces for people to enjoy.

TCV South Yorkshire team member clearing up after dredging at Brodsworth Community Woodlands, Doncaster.

This grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has made such a huge difference to staff, volunteers and to the wide range of sites TCV contributes to from improving habitats for wildlife, to mending the now well-used pathways.

It has also given staff the time to support volunteers in many ways, putting extra COVID-19 secure measures in place, keeping in contact with volunteers who have not be able to join any volunteering sessions, and providing fun and interesting online learning and support.

This was all possible due to players of The National Lottery. A huge THANK YOU to all National Lottery players from all at TCV.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science

11 February 2021 by TCV Blogs Editor

Today is International Day of Girls and Women in Science day. The purpose of the day is to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.

To celebrate the day, we have asked Kirsty Crawford, Senior Project Officer at TCV Glasgow, to share the story of her journey to working in wildlife biology and conservation.

My path has taken many turns but I currently work as a Senior Project Officer in Glasgow, focused on Citizen Science projects. I’ve been in this role for three years, delivering a host of nature and community-based wildlife programmes across Central Scotland.

I didn’t always know I wanted to work in conservation, even while at school I had no idea about the range of jobs which could involve working in nature apart from maybe Park Ranger. At the time most of the biological science and outdoor jobs felt like they were geared up towards men.

My undergraduate was in Journalism and Creative Writing followed by a Performing Arts Diploma and years spent in London as a professional performer.

After a role at ZSL London Zoo as a wildlife presenter and an internship with the BBC Natural History Unit, I decided to apply for an MSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation. I graduated in October 2020.

Kirsty taking part in a Citizen Science project

My entry to working with The Conservation Volunteers was through a brilliant traineeship scheme called Natural Talent UK. The aim of the programme was to increase expertise to protect our less well-known species and create awareness of the habitats that support them.

After a year of the traineeship in partnership with Buglife, combining skills in wildlife identification, project development, taxonomy and community engagement, a new role came up to deliver Citizen Science in Scotland.

Citizen Science can be defined simply as the involvement of volunteers in scientific research, an engaging and interesting challenge with many benefits.

Our TCV sessions are offered through our large-scale project Scotland Counts which has been running for over 12 years, as a means of substantial, thoughtful outreach with many diverse communities and members of the public.

Through this we deliver training courses, events, workshops, school sessions and design new surveys. Our flagship Citizen Science project is HogWatch Scotland, the first Scottish hedgehog conservation project which helps create new habitat, raise awareness, deliver educational programmes and carry out nocturnal work to survey this declining species.

Kirsty working on HogWatch Scotland

In partnership with Earthwatch Europe, I also lead on the Naturehood community wildlife project in Glasgow, encouraging local communities to rewild their spaces and take action for nature.

Together with Scottish Forestry, we created a brand-new citizen science survey focused on assessing the health of local woodlands. The Dead Good Deadwood Survey highlights the importance of dead and decaying wood as a vital habitat for many rare species. We host training and community events to give volunteers and local groups the skills to carry out monitoring.

Part of our project also provides outreach to BME and recently arrived familied in Scotland to offer access to the outdoors, excursions, training and a range of events linked to Scottish natural heritage.

At a community level Citizen Science has been shown to be an agent for empowering communities to act as environmental stewards, protecting and improving their local and global environment. This is especially important for the young people which we connect with.

Loch Lomond Explored Day 2019

One of our projects this year, Pathways to STEM, has a focus on inspiring girls to consider conservation and environmental careers and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, in partnership with the Developing the Young Workforce campaign.

At secondary level we host dedicated workshops and discussion sessions for female pupils, including practical environmental sessions. More broadly, the project aims to connect young people with their local greenspaces and has worked with over 6,000 children.

Through Scotland Counts we try to reach outside the typical circle of people who are either already interested in wildlife or are studying a related subject, to allow us to target a new generation of citizen scientists.

I’m passionate about being ‘more than one thing’ in life and advocating for the impact of environmental education and the opportunities it can bring.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

I Dig Trees guest blog: 1,000 new trees form species-rich hedgerow set to boost biodiversity

2 February 2021 by ralphwalker

Last year our fantastic network of I Dig Trees community groups smashed the target to plant over 1 million trees. This year we are going even bigger with 1,444,400 trees now distributed since the programme began.

As the tree planting season continues, Jessica Rowbury of CoFarm in Cambridge tells us how the trees ordered are helping to bring habitats, food and shelter for the local wildlife…

The CoFarm market garden in Cambridge

More than one thousand saplings have been planted at the CoFarm Cambridge site on Barnwell Road with help from volunteers and sponsors. The saplings will grow to form a hedgerow around the perimeter of the fenced market garden within the seven-acre Cambridge city plot.

The species-rich hedgerow will act to boost biodiversity within the farm, as well as provide a natural windbreak and prevent soil erosion. 

Different varieties of trees, including blackthorn, hawthorn, hornbeam, beech and crab apple, were planted around the 360-metre fence perimeter by CoFarm volunteers.

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) donated 950 trees, as part of its ‘I Dig Trees’ programme in partnership with OVO Energy, in addition to supporting canes and spiral guards that protect the saplings from rabbits and deer.

A further 450 trees have been donated to CoFarm Cambridge by The Woodland Trust, through its PlanTree initiative.

Some of these have been planted within the hedgerow, and more are set be planted around the farm in the coming weeks.

Hedges: havens for nature

Hedges are vital habitats that provide food and shelter for wildlife and create corridors to help wildlife move around. 

The more diverse in composition a hedgerow is the more insects and species it is likely to support thanks to an increased variety of flowering and fruiting times. CoFarm’s new hedge will be classified as ‘species-rich’, according to the UK’s Habit Action Plan, defined as containing an average of five or more native woody species per 30m length. 

The recently planted saplings, which are currently around half a metre in height, will take around three years to reach the desired height of the hedge (around 1.5 metres).

‘Hedges are massively important for wildlife, giving shelter, nest sites and food. They also serve as beneficial predator and pollinator banks which are so important within small organic farm systems.’

Dominic Walsh, horticultural co-lead at CoFarm Cambridge

Beyond the benefits they bring to wildlife, hedges act as windbreaks, to protect the hundreds of varieties of flowers and vegetable plants inside the market garden and help prevent soil erosion. 

Nature-friendly farming

During the planting of the saplings in December, volunteers dipped the young tree roots in a solution containing mycorrhiza, a beneficial type of fungus that grows in association with plant roots. Mycorrhizas take sugars and carbon from the saplings in exchange for water and nutrients they gather from the soil. In this way, the fungi act as extensions to the root system, increasing the saplings’ absorptive area.

The nutrient exchange includes organic compounds such as phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium, but also micronutrients previously locked up in the soil.

Volunteers dipping the tree roots in a mycorrhizal solution.

This is just one of the many nature-friendly techniques employed by CoFarm Cambridge since the site does not use chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides.

The method negates the need for chemical fertilisers, thanks to the increased absorption power of the roots resulting from the symbiotic relationship formed with the fungi. Mycorrhiza fungus also protects the trees against root diseases.  

Found out more about CoFarm Cambridge

Many more trees are set to be planted at CoFarm Cambridge this year. To hear more about this project, including the upcoming planting of a community orchard, follow CoFarm on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.


We’d like to say a huge thank to Jessica and the team at CoFarm for sharing this guest blog post for I Dig Trees, originally appearing here.

Keep up to date with the latest news and activities from The Conservation Volunteers by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or head on over to our website for more.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: btcv, Conservation, conserve, environment, food, gardening, Green Gym, greengym, healthy, hedge, hedges, help, humans, involved, nature, planet, planting, plants, practical, saving, shelter, tools, tree, trees, volunteer, volunteering, wildlife

Communities and green spaces a public priority in 2021.

19 January 2021 by TCV Blogs Editor

The events of 2020 have had a profound impact on the lives of people around the world, but new research proves that perhaps the biggest impact of the coronavirus pandemic is closer to home.

Research from The National Lottery Community Fund shows that the pandemic has reignited the UK public’s interest in their local communities. In light of the difficulties that 2020 posed for many, there is a desire now to be more involved in our local communities in 2021.

Communities

69% of people surveyed feel like they are part of their local community. A third of those people acknowledged that COVID-19 had increased their sense of belonging (33%) and increased the importance of feeling part of a community.

Last year, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) carried out our own survey to see what impact the pandemic was having on our volunteers and to value the importance of our work.

72% of volunteers we spoke to said that they felt their social connectedness has got worse during the lockdown, yet 64% said that they felt that the value of community had increased.

Communities and their importance will continue to be at the forefront of people’s minds in 2021. The National Lottery Community Fund reported that three in ten people in the UK plan to get more involved with their local community this year.

Communities has always been central to the work that we do at TCV. We work to connect people to green spaces to create happy and healthy communities.

In the midst of this current lockdown, most our volunteering sessions have been suspended again in accordance with government guidelines. However, with reports that community spirit will continue to be a priority for many people in the UK in 2021, it gives us a positive outlook for when we can fully return to volunteering once again.

Green spaces

The National Lottery Community Fund’s report revealed that 52% of people in the UK believe that access to green spaces should be a priority in 2021.

Undoubtedly green spaces have become vital for many people during the various lockdowns across the UK. 73% of our volunteers agreed that the value of green spaces during the pandemic has increased.

For over 60 years, TCV volunteers have worked tireless 52 weeks a year to improve their local green spaces. Not only for themselves to enjoy, but for the members of their communities as well.

Loved and cared for green spaces not only add value to these areas, but to the wellbeing of the people who live there.

Safe and accessible green spaces have not only provided space for people to maintain their physical health through the coronavirus pandemic. Access to green spaces have been proven to have a positive impact on our mental health as well.

Social connectedness

With 72% of our volunteers telling us that their social connectedness had decreased during their first lockdown, providing these safe and accessible green spaces has never been more important.

Loneliness was already an issue in the UK before the coronavirus hit. In 2018, the UK Government established a new Ministry of Loneliness to address ‘the public health epidemic of loneliness with serious physical and mental implications’.

With social distancing being a part of our lives since the pandemic hit in March 2020, the impact of being socially disconnected on our mental health has moved to the forefront of the public consciousness.

The National Lottery’s report discovered that the majority of people want to focus on creating happier and healthier lives within their community. 47% of people agreed that reducing loneliness and isolation was important for their community’s wellbeing in 2021.

At TCV, our Green Gym’s help to encourage people not only to make a difference to the natural environment of their community, but to their mental wellbeing also. By working alongside neighbours, friends, and other like-minded volunteers, social isolation decreases and people begin to feel part of their local community.

A look to the future

With dark and cold days and another lockdown within the UK, it can feel overwhelming at times. At TCV, we are remaining positive about what 2021 holds for us as a charity.

We have been grateful for the support of our donors, funders, partners and our team. The National Lottery Community Fund’s report that communities and green spaces are set to remain high on the public’s agenda in 2021, we are excited to welcome new volunteers to our groups across the UK.

Keep up to date with the latest TCV news and activities by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or head on over to our website for more.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: communities

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