Habitat and Reserve Maintenance
Practical tasks on the reserve vary throughout the year, from coppicing and woodland work in the winter to meadow cutting and baling in the summer. Throughout the year important maintenance tasks like path work and painting take place.
Weekly practical volunteering sessions on Tuesdays run from 10am to 3pm and take place throughout the year.
Winter Work Days take place once a month on Sundays, in the winter months. An ideal opportunity to give volunteering a go! Keep an eye on the Events page for more information and to book your place.
Species Monitoring
A variety of surveys are used to monitor the range of species found on the reserve. Bird surveys take place year-round, and butterfly, dragonfly, amphibian and reptile surveys take place during particular times in the year.
Weekly species team meetings on Wednesdays run from March to November and involve moth trapping and general species walks.
If you are interested in a particular survey or species, please get in touch to discuss joining an established survey or setting up a new one.
Education
Assist with educational visits with schools and organised groups. Educational visits are especially popular during the spring and summer terms. Volunteer to help out during these visits if you have some experience working with children, some wildlife knowledge, and are keen to get young people excited to learn about the natural world around them.
You could also help out during school work experience placements. Foxglove Covert hosts students in Year 10 and Year 12 for a week of work experience, usually in early summer.
Or get involved with educational outreach through visits to local schools, libraries and youth clubs.
Visitor Engagement
Help welcome visitors to the Field Centre on weekends and during school holidays. Encourage visitors to explore the Field Centre and reserve, point out the best spots to discover wildlife, and get people engaged with nature through natural history exhibits.
Fundraising
Help raise funds for Foxglove Covert through donations, project-specific grant funding, online crowd-funding, or local sponsorship. If you have an idea and a plan to generate funding for Foxglove Covert’s nature conservation work, we’d love to hear it!
Communications and Marketing
Help people find out more about Foxglove Covert through the website, social media, press releases and Undergrowth, the reserve newsletter.
Respond to enquiries and create content that gives people an insight into the reserve.
Survey visitors on and off site to learn more about who visits Foxglove Covert and help direct marketing efforts.
Trustees
Foxglove Covert is looking for new Trustees. No particular background is required, although experience in ecology, conservation and/or the MOD is beneficial. As a Trustee you will support the work at the reserve and help with plans to increase the appeal of Foxglove Covert to the military and wider local community, as well as specialist audiences.
Event Delivery
Plan and deliver events such as guided walks, hobby workshops (e.g. photography), children’s events (e.g. crafts), or species identification sessions.
Or help increase Foxglove Covert’s presence in the local area by delivering community talks and/or attending community events.
