Finally an organisation is offering people appealing wildlife working holidays in England along the lines of the ever-popular volunteering holidays abroad that have been so successful over the last 10 years.
Imagine working for a week as if you were one of the people that you see on the BBC’s Springwatch programme: surveying animals, checking nest boxes, and generally helping out with conservation jobs in beautiful parts of the UK. A real backstage experience where you meet passionate experts and learn to contribute fully to their work in your holiday time.
Wild Days Conservation has been set up by two people who have been running wildlife volunteering holidays abroad for over 30 years. They know how to select projects where people can really make a difference in a short time, and they understand how to create a holiday that people will enjoy, even when they’re working hard and possibly getting muddy into the bargain. ‘Our slogan is ‘We do this for fun’, says Kathy Gill, one of the founders, ‘and we really do. Days on our holidays may involve getting up early and sipping a good cup of coffee whilst going to check what little mammals have visited our traps in the night, taking some important stats about the animals and then letting them bound back to their normal lives. A great breakfast always follows this and then we will head out to survey a beach, or help plant some reeds, or even cut some scrub before we have lunch and then an afternoon to look around somewhere interesting in the local area. We might go round a protected area with the reserve manager, talking about their work, the challenges and the joys, or we might visit a local area to survey some other species such as amphibians or reptiles, but whatever we do the day will end with an excellent meal in a local pub or something prepared at our accommodation with good local food.’
It’s all about combining an immersive experience in nature with some learning and lots of local flavour.
For more information, visit the Wild Days Conservation website or call Kathy on 07941 289925.
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