Volunteer Park Rangers

Our Volunteer Park Rangers supervise the Practical Conservation sessions and help us to record and monitor the different wildlife species that we have on site. It’s an incredible experience and can help you on your way to a promising career in nature conservation. But don’t just take our word for it, take a look below to find out what some of our previous Park Rangers thought about their own experiences…

Eithne

Eithne moved on to work on our Meadow Keepers project as our Grassland Management volunteer, using the skills she had learned in leading groups and using identification and surveying knowledge to help various green space groups around York to manage their grasslands and monitor the wildlife that is there. From there, Eithne did various bits of project work at St Nicks and is currently our Project Officer working on the Green Corridors York project, leading the management of the Nature Reserve. 

“My role as Park Ranger involved leading groups, primarily in practical habitat management tasks: tree felling, laying hedges and path maintenance for example, which we’d plan for earlier in the week. I really enjoyed working with such a varied group of people, from all backgrounds and walks of life. It made for a very inclusive and friendly atmosphere; it was a great dynamic! One of the main skills needed for the jobs I was looking for (ranger & warden roles) is leading and managing groups of volunteers. Through species identification and survey training, I was also able to improve my identification skills and contribute to monitoring the wildlife around the nature reserve. Being a Park Ranger gave me the opportunity to learn those skills which I am continuing to hone in my current role at St Nicks.”

Eithne, a young lady with a long blond fringe touching the frame of her black glasses stands next to a scythe, she is facing the camera and the image shows her from mid thigh her left hand is supporting the top of the scythe and in her gloved right hand sLewis Outing

Sean

Sean was a Park Ranger from late summer into winter. He led our volunteers in a variety of tasks including hedgelaying, coppicing, tree felling, scrub management and many more.

“Being a Park Ranger at St Nicks is great. There are new tasks to do every week, so I’ve learned lots of new skills and enjoy passing some of these on to others. It has also made me a more confident person. It’s a privilege to be a part of the friendly and supportive St Nicks team. It’s good to help improve the habitat for wildlife at this wonderful urban nature reserve. But for me the most rewarding aspect of the Park Ranger role is the wide range of people, from all sorts of backgrounds, I get to work with.”

Sean is an older white male with white hair, beard and glasses. He is knelt on the floor. Wearing gloves he is holding a bow saw in two hands and cutting a branch low down.