Since June 2023, Charnwood Forest Geopark has recruited a large team of fantastic volunteers, who deliver a range of landscape conservation and engagement activities. We are very proud of the team’s hard work in learning new skills and gaining experience that helps to conserve and celebrate Charnwood Forest. Through their endeavours, and alongside local partner organisations, we’ve planted trees and managed woodland, protected geological sites, installed interpretation, and removed invasive species – to name just a few of our volunteers’ successes!
Could your local organisation benefit from the support of the Geopark volunteers and the skills they have?
Below is a non-exhaustive list of the team’s skills. Please note that not all skills are held by all volunteers. If you represent or work with an organisation in the Geopark who would like to work with Geopark volunteers, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can discuss your ideas together.
Nature conservation
- Felling small trees (under 20cm approx at chest height) using hand tools
- Hazel coppicing
- Processing small trees (snedding, cross cutting, removing brash)
- Dead hedge building
- Scrub/vegetation removal
- Conservation of geoheritage
- Tree and tree seed planting
- Chainsaw maintenance
- Cross-cutting felled trees using chainsaw
- Felling small trees using chainsaw
- Bracken pulling
Site maintenance
- Interpretation signage installation on gabion boxes filled with stone/wood
- Litter picking
- Introductory dry stone walling
Heritage crafts
- Basic green woodworking
- Small scale charcoal-making
- Crafting with natural materials
- Straight bladed tool sharpening
- Wreath making
Event and activity support
- Public engagement at events and walks
- Fossil model making and painting
- Photography
Other
- Local history research
- First Aid (including outdoor First Aid)