Spend a day or more helping to manage an area, conserve a species, improve habitats; learn the necessary skills 'on the job' and help make a difference. All events are for one day unless otherwise specified. Also have a look at the Volunteer Opportunities or Voluntary Organisations pages.
Organisations offering practical work days in the South of England: this area covers Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent and Isle of Wight.
Please remember to contact only the organisation or person specified and please mention that you saw the advert with CJS.
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Andover Trees United
Through conservation, education, biodiversity, and community projects, we’re creating greener, more inclusive wild spaces across Andover while inspiring environmental stewardship and youth involvement. Volunteers are central to Andover Trees United, helping care for woodlands, support wildlife, run events, and connect young people with nature.
Belhus Woods Country Park
is over 300 acres in South Essex with a variety of habitats. Practical volunteer workdays run Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wildlife survey role also available. Learn new skills and make a difference. Parking and hot drinks provided. Please contact us for more information.
www.explore-essex.com/places-to-go/find-whats-near-me/belhus-woods-country-park
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
BBOWT has been a champion for local wildlife since 1959. The Trust has a bold vision of more nature everywhere – for everyone. Volunteering with BBOWT is a great way to meet people, learn new skills and gain experience. By working together, we can create bigger, wilder, more connected landscapes, so nature and people can thrive.
Brighton Permaculture Trust
We are a Sussex Green Charity focusing on Permaculture Education and have weekly opportunities to help out in orchards/our Permaculture plot, courses and with courses and events. For more information please check out our list of current opportunities here: https://brightonpermaculture.org.uk/current-volunteer-opportunities/
brightonpermaculture.org.uk/current-volunteer-opportunities/
Chiltern Rangers
Our mission here at Chiltern Rangers is to enhance the Chilterns’ habitats through conservation, education and community engagement. Our community is at the heart of what we do and we would be delighted for you to join us as a Conservation Volunteer.
Cotswold Voluntary Wardens
Join a group with over 50 years experience of access and conservation work in the Cotswolds. There are opportunities to suit a variety of interests from dry stone walling and installing gates to leading a guided walk, patrolling parish paths or working with schools.
For further details go to
Earth Trust
is guardian of 500 hectares of woodland, farmland, wildflower meadows and wetlands in Oxfordshire. We use these amazing places to engage, inspire and demonstrate nature-based solutions to climate, biodiversity and public health crises. Volunteers are invaluable to our community. Find a role that suits you:
ecoACTIVE
is an environmental education charity based in London, working with schools and community groups to help people reduce their impact on the environment. If you’re interested in a career in environmental education, or just want to support our sustainability work in the community, why not volunteer with us?
Essex Wildlife Trust
is the County's leading conservation organisation. We have 87 nature reserves and 11 visitor centres and need help from volunteers on most of these sites. We have opportunities to help with practical work parties, educational activities, visitor outreach, centre staff and surveys across Essex.
Explore Essex
Many of our parks and places are looking for people like you. From specific roles such as helping in our visitor centres to more general maintenance, we have a wide variety of volunteering roles to suit you.
Please email with the name of the site you are interested in
FarmAbility
is an independent charity in Oxfordshire that is committed to improving the quality of lives through access to meaningful, farm and horticultural-based activities for learning disabled and autistic adults. Volunteers are hugely valued and important to us, helping support participants at several different local farms and gardens, Monday to Friday.
Friends of Garthorne Road Nature Reserve
Activities include invasive species control, coppicing, live and dead hedging, path/steps, glade management, wildlife surveys. Work parties held 2nd Saturday of each month,11.00am to 3.00pm. Meet at Beadnell Road entrance – wear old clothes and sturdy boots. Bring refreshments & gardening gloves (but gloves can be provided). All tools provided.
Friends of Northaw Great Wood
Activities include coppicing, shrub clearance, path/glade management, wildlife surveys. Work parties held every Friday and 1st Sunday each month, 9.30am to 12.30pm. Meet in the car park – wear old clothes and sturdy boots. Bring refreshments & gardening gloves (but gloves can be provided). All tools provided.
Gatton Park
is a beautiful 'Capability' Brown parkland in Reigate, Surrey. Gatton Trust Volunteers help with all aspects of running the estate from practical work to helping in the office. Get involved and contribute to restoration work, outdoor education or our exciting programme of events. Email or visit the website
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
If you're looking to get involved with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and contribute towards nature's recovery, volunteering could be for you! Whatever your motivations - to meet new people, share your expertise or to help protect the future of wildlife - we'll work with you to find the right volunteer opportunities to fit you.
www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/get-involved/volunteer
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
If you want a hands-on experience where you can make a real difference to the wildlife in your area, we have various volunteer roles that you can get involved with. No matter what it is about nature that inspires or intrigues you, we’re sure we've got something for you!
Hampshire Conservation Volunteers
We work at weekends on a wide variety of sites. Spring and summer are for construction of paths, boardwalks, gates and fences, while autumn may include some pond maintenance. Winter tasks include coppicing, hedgelaying and scrub-bashing, usually with a roaring bonfire.
Hampshire Countryside Service – Central Sites
The Central Countryside Sites Team are looking for volunteers to take part in work days throughout the year on a regular weekly basis. You will be supporting the site rangers to help manage a variety of sites and habitats throughout Hampshire between Winchester and Andover.
centralcountrysidesites@hants.gov.uk
www.hants.gov.uk/jobs/volunteering/volunteeringopportunities/ranger
Hazel Hill Wood
Gain experience in practical woodland management and site maintenance tasks plus wildlife surveys at Hazel Hill Wood, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. Tasks include scything and raking to manage paths, rides and glades, restocking firewood and hedgelaying.
Kent High Weald Partnership (KHWP)
is seeking volunteers to help conserve and enhance local wildlife sites across the Tunbridge Wells area. Join practical conservation tasks on Wednesdays and Thursdays, take part in wildlife monitoring, or support corporate volunteering events. For details visit www.khwp.org.uk or email cmp@khwp.org.uk
Kent Wildlife Trust
is the leading conservation charity for the county of Kent. We engage with landowners and communities so we can all work together to protect wildlife. Volunteers help us by working on our nature reserves, engaging visitors and conducting surveys for wildlife.
Lampton Greenspace
At Lampton we steward nature reserves throughout the London Borough of Hounslow, this includes all maintenance and conservation work to enhance the areas for wildlife. Please email us of you would like to get involved with volunteering, we host regular volunteering groups as well as pre-booked work experience.
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
is a statutory body responsible for managing and developing the 26-mile-long, 10,000-acre linear regional park which serves London, Hertfordshire and Essex. We have a fantastic band of volunteers who get involved in countryside management activities throughout the park’s open spaces.
London Wildlife Trust
protects wild spaces and engaging London’s diverse communities through our nature reserves, education, volunteering, and campaigning. Our vision is a London alive with nature, where everyone values and supports wildlife. We offer inclusive volunteering roles in conservation and community engagement, tailored to different interests and experiences.
New Forest National Park Authority
We are seeking volunteers to help us champion and care for the New Forest and are especially interested in people from diverse backgrounds. We offer travel expenses, training and a short induction for all volunteers taking part in our programmes. For more information about our volunteering opportunities visit our website or contact us at
River Thame Conservation Trust
We’re an environmental charity dedicated to improving the River Thame Catchment for wildlife and we’re always on the lookout for enthusiastic volunteers to help out with a range of activities including: water quality sampling, plant & wildlife surveys, and habitat improvement and invasive species control work parties. Register to volunteer at: http://bttr.im/czq8j
Surrey Countryside Partnerships -
Our Downlands, Lower Mole and Surrey Heathland Partnerships offer a wide range of practical seasonal conservation volunteering opportunities throughout the year across north, northeast and west Surrey, Croydon, Kingston and Sutton.
Find out more and view the latest task info online or email the team:
Surrey Wildlife Trust
The Wildlife Trusts is a movement that believes we need nature and it needs us. Across the UK, volunteers work together to create a wilder future for people and nature. Whether you can spare a few hours or a full day, becoming a volunteer can make a huge difference for nature and people.
Sussex Wildlife Trust
Volunteering is a chance to make a positive contribution to your local area, learning new skills, making new friends and sharing or increasing your knowledge of nature conservation. There are plenty of opportunities available, from practical conservation, working with children, supporting events or offering your specific skills to make a difference.
The Wildlife For All Trust
is a pioneering environmental charity with nature reserves in England and Africa. We have a unique, deeper approach to conservation which consistently produces positive results. We train our staff to be the best they can be. If you want to make a difference, contact us: wildlifeforall.org wildlifeforall@hotmail.com
Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital
Volunteer as a wildlife Rescuer; Ambulance driver; baby mammal Fosterer; or on-site Husbandry with Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital. For driving roles you need your own transport, be 21+, reasonably fit and willing to catch/transport wildlife (full training/equipment provided). Fosterers need to be available throughout the day. See website for full requirements.
Waverley Borough Council
We run practical countryside volunteer sessions in south-west Surrey. Our friendly volunteer groups help us to clear scrub, remove invasive species, plant trees, and install fencing and benches. We can also offer work experience placements and the opportunity to carry out wildlife surveys.
West Wickham Commons
Activities include hedgelaying, coppicing and conservation tasks at Spring Park and West Wickham Common, two nature-rich open spaces on the edge of Croydon and Bromley. Volunteer workdays 10am-3pm on the last Friday of each month either at Spring Park or West Wickham Common. Hot drinks and all equipment provided.
White Cliffs Countryside Partnership
Join our volunteers to help manage chalk grassland, wetland and shingle habitats from Dover Districts to Romney Marsh and the award winning Samphire Hoe. We have daily volunteer tasks throughout the year, but also volunteer positions doing livestock lookering, site rangers, office volunteers, wildlife surveys and event helpers. Contact:
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Volunteers have been at the heart of WWT since it was founded in 1962. Its success is built on the dedication, skills and energy of our wonderful volunteers. We have a range of opportunities available for any budding volunteer who can help us make a difference to people and wildlife in Wiltshire.