Volunteers at Essex Wildlife Trust are a vital part of the team effort to restore nature, improve habitat and engage with the public. Our volunteers help in so many ways. Here are some brilliant, inspiring examples of what our volunteers have achieved at the Trust in 2024.
Volunteers have been helping our supporters connect with nature and experience wildlife up close. Here’s how:
Photo: Amy Lewis
Badger at Fingringhoe Wick - Paul Everett
Bat detecting, credit: Emma Bradshaw
Six sold out bat walks at Belfairs Nature Discovery Centre were led by their brilliant volunteer.
Thanks to volunteers, badger watching nights and nightingales walks were held at Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park.
24 dormice were recorded across Hadleigh Woods thanks to the volunteers who help with recording and monitoring the species and maintaining the specialist habitat.
Our volunteers help us to repair, restore and manage our nature reserves and Nature Discovery Centres. Here’s some examples of how volunteers have helped us this year.
Newland Grove volunteers
Sergeants Orchard volunteers
Volunteers at Newland Grove nature reserve repaired the site's main bridge, which was failing and in desperate need of repair. The bridge was stripped back to its bare bones and completely rebuilt. The group worked into the evening to finish it to ensure public safety.
100 hazel posts were gathered locally and used at Sergeants Orchard nature reserve to create willow fences to keep the sheep in, with enough left over for a bit of festive wreath making!
100kg of rubbish including microplastics have been removed from our shores by volunteers at the Naze, by leading 10 beach cleans.
At Nature Discovery Centres, our volunteers are invaluable. Here’s some examples to show how we’d be lost without them!
Our Peter Rabbit trail characters at Langdon have been lovingly repainted, giving the trail a new lease of life and saving the Trust money in the process.
1800 of children were engaged in 68 family events and school visits at the Naze, supported by the brilliant Wilder Learning volunteers.
2083 membership packs were collated and posted with the help of volunteers. Without these volunteers there would have been times where new members would have waited at least another week before receiving their welcome letters and packs.
8,267 lattes were served by volunteers at just one Nature Discovery Centre in 2024, equating to £3,874 in funds for the Trust.
Volunteers have been taking part in citizen science campaigns, conducting species surveys and so much more.
Paul Rowe
Seagrass volunteers.
26 butterfly species were identified across 27 reserves enabling us to measure trends across the county. Including, 218 heath fritillary butterflies recorded at Pound Wood nature reserve.
1350% increase in nesting success on Colne Point nature reserve thank to monitoring by volunteers with 43 chicks fledging their nests up from just three the previous year.
72 recreational impact surveys were conducted by 24 volunteers in areas of current or historical seagrass as part of the Essex Seagrass Project. This data helps us direct our seagrass restoration activities.
103 breeding bird species were identified across 50 reserves, which helps our Conservation Evidence Team to manage our nature reserves appropriately.
This is just a small snapshot of the incredible work that goes on every day around the county for wildlife and engagement by our volunteers. A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers!
Find out about Essex's pollinators, from bees and beetles to moths and ants.
Ray Marsh volunteered for the Trust for 60 years. Read more about his impact as we remember our dedicated volunteer and friend.
As part of Team Wilder, we've supported Hamelin Trust transform their unused space into a sensory garden.
