Library of in depth features covering a wide range of subjects across the many different areas of the countryside, conservation, wildlife sectors as well as looking at careers and how to get a job. Many articles are written exclusively for CJS. Some articles were originally sourced for CJS Focus, others have been written exclusively for CJS by our
Featured Charities, you'll also find
profiles of relevant organisations and charities.
There is a wealth of information from across many different areas. This page has the most recently published articles and features, to view the full index of features covering several years click here.
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Please note that the full CJS Focus edition is a PDF download of the original publication and therefore contains all the adverts, many of these may now be out of date and we ask you to proceed with caution if you're following up any of these.
Conservation is becoming more evidence-based, but it still has a long way to go
In October 2024 Alec approached CJS enquiring if we were able to supply him with archived job data to help his research on the mention of certain terms in job adverts in the conservation and environmental sector. We were delighted to be able to help and sent him the data from our archive which he's used, with others, in his analysis. The final results were published last month and here we're sharing his more reader friendly article on what he uncovered.
Enthusiasm, passion and curiosity: What Shapes me as a Green Volunteer
Opinion piece by Millie Gates, BSc Wildlife and Conservation Student at Merrist Wood College & University Centre
Everyone remembers the first time they really considered what job they wanted. It might have been at school, or even once already on the career ladder. For me, when making my ‘future me’ profile, I chose a vet due to my love for animals. I have always loved animals, kept hamsters and fish, and so it was an obvious choice and the only related career path I was aware of.
Climate Change Adaptation: From Ranger to Climate Action at Scale
Keith Jones, Technical Climate Adaptation Lead has worked for the National Trust for 25 years,
beginning his career as a Ranger on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). During that
time, extreme weather has always been part of the job. What has changed
is its frequency, intensity and unpredictability.
Supporting successful volunteers and opportunities in the New Forest
The New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) works across a range of projects and with partners to protect the Forest’s special habitats, wildlife, culture, and heritage. Volunteers are a key part of delivering this mission. While helping the National Park thrive, there are also many benefits for volunteers themselves; from boosting health and wellbeing to building green skills, developing networks to sharing knowledge.
Student Perspective - Volunteering in the Wildlife Sector
In 2017 I took a gamble and made the decision to take a “gap year” in the middle of my degree. I had education fatigue and needed a break to be a part of the “real world”. I went into work (in a field that was totally unrelated to my area of study) and started to save hard to eventually travel and volunteer with various wildlife organisations. Enter Covid 19. My gap year suddenly turned into two, then 3, then 4…and before I knew it, I’d been out of education for 7 years!
Sussex BNG project continues to set the pace
One of Britain’s leading habitat banks is entering an exciting new phase, scoping out its third s106 agreement. The Iford Biodiversity Project, a landscape-scale initiative in East Sussex, already has two sites on the register. One has seen historic grassland, scrub and woodland habitats reinstated on former arable land; the other has seen semi-natural, downland woodland enhanced and extended.
A closer look at bees
Today we celebrate the beautiful, amazing, diverse bees found in the UK and across the world, inhabiting every continent except the Antarctic. One of my absolute favourite signs of spring is hearing the buzz of the first queen bumblebee of the year checking out my garden, or gracing me with a fly-round; when a bee approaches you and flies around you, perhaps noting your location in the landscape.
Green Spaces Need Friends! - the why, what & how of Friends Groups
Slowly but surely, especially over the last 25 years, an inspirational UK grassroots movement has been arising of people dedicated to improving, caring for, protecting, animating, appreciating and publicising the local green spaces they love. There are now over 7,000 local independent and voluntary ‘Friends of’ groups (involving around 60,000 activists and 800,000 members), each collectively contributing and ‘adding value’ to their sites to a greater or lesser extent, depending on their desire and capacity.
Bringing communities and nature together: Great Big Green Week 2026
For those working in conservation, land management, countryside ranger services or local authority green spaces, community engagement is rarely straightforward. Budgets are tight, audiences are fragmented and the gap between public concern for nature and meaningful participation can be frustratingly wide. Great Big Green Week is the only mass moment for nature and climate in the UK that consistently bridges that gap, and the results at scale are striking.
Plant Pathology Careers: Protecting Plant Health Across Landscapes
Healthy plants are vital for strong, thriving landscapes - whether on farms, in forests, or in conservation areas. With new plant diseases spreading due to trade, climate change, and other pressures, plant pathology is now more important than ever for anyone working to keep ecosystems healthy.
The Role of Botanic Gardens in Habitat Restoration
Botanic gardens are increasingly recognised as important players in tackling one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time: restoring damaged ecosystems. Once mainly known for displaying beautiful plant collections and educating visitors, these gardens now play a much bigger role. Today, they combine science, conservation, and community work to help rebuild habitats that have been lost or degraded.
Managing a volunteer work party project on public rights of way
When designing projects on public rights of way, what should we be thinking about as outdoor officers in the most basic sense? To aid me in explaining I will use a recent bridge refurbishment as an example. Works can come about in a number of diverse ways. We have complaints coming into the generic Countryside Access mailbox, we have people phoning in complaints, and we also have works that are generated by our own surveys of paths or promoted walking routes. Situated in one of the remotest areas of Swansea County, the bridge in question was found to be in a state of disrepair after a survey of one of our promoted walking routes, (the Cwm Clydach Walk). The bridge was installed approximately 15 years ago, and fortunately for us, when it was installed, we used a steel sub-frame clad in timber. This meant that we could strip off the old rotten timber back down to the steel sub-frame and rebuild from scratch.
Protecting our native species
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) is a national conservation charity dedicated, as its name suggests, to conserving frogs, toads and newts, snakes and lizards. ARC manages a network of over 80 nature reserves in England and Wales that cover some 2,000 hectares. These include a significant suite of lowland heathland areas that are home to all six native reptile species.
How rewilding is offering hope and creating jobs
Rewilding – the large-scale restoration of ecosystems until nature can take care of itself – has grown rapidly over recent years.
In Scotland, there are now nearly 200 rewilding projects across the country, led by communities, charities, farmers, landowners, public bodies and others. Rewilding is now underway across 2.5% of the country’s land, with more than 195,615 hectares rewilding.
Raleigh International: Putting young people at the heart of achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
When it comes to sustainability, young people are vital stakeholders. As the leaders, bosses and decision makers of the future, young people have a real stake in shaping the development of communities and environments around the world. So in recognition of this, youth expedition organisation Raleigh International doesn't just provide travel experiences for young people – it embeds project impact and sustainability education into its programmes.
3-30-300: A Simple Rule with Big Implications for Urban Nature and Wellbeing
If there’s one thing that unites planners, tree officers, ecologists and communities in towns and cities, it’s the shared challenge of creating healthier, more liveable neighbourhoods. But many of the traditional metrics we use to measure urban nature - such as tree canopy percentage or numbers of trees planted - can overlook an important truth: nature matters where people live and experience it every day.
Young Voices for a Greener Future: Meet Charlotte Boggon and Jodie Bailey-Ho
Empowering the next generation to lead on environmental issues is central to Better Planet Education’s mission. Nowhere is this more evident than in the voices of our Young Trustees. In this interview, we speak with Charlotte Boggon and Jodie Bailey-Ho—two passionate advocates for sustainability and youth engagement. From their journeys into environmental activism to their vision for a more climate-conscious education system, Charlotte and Jodie share what drives their commitment and how they’re shaping the future of Better Planet Education from the inside out.
A Place to Grow!
At Mires Beck Nursery, we believe in creating a space where people can grow, connect, and thrive in a beautiful rural setting which is surprisingly rich in biodiversity for a very active site. Our social day care service provides a welcoming and supportive environment for adults with both learning and physical disabilities, giving them the opportunity to develop skills, build friendships and experience the many benefits of working with nature.