How to Volunteer in UK National Parks

It goes without saying we’re big fans of getting out into nature and doing your bit. Volunteering is undoubtedly one of the best ways to do that, but sometimes it’s hard to work out how to get involved. Fear not, we’ve set out how you can volunteer in each of the UK’s National Parks as a starter for ten.

Worth saying that they won’t always have availability immediately, so you may need to sign up to their mailing list to find out about the latest opportunities. Nonetheless, worth it, so get on it.

Beyond National Parks there are near countless other opps for volunteering, so if none of the below take your fancy, then you won’t be short of alternatives.

SPECIFICS ON HOW TO VOLUNTEER IN UK NATIONAL PARKS

Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)

Opportunities here vary throughout the year & you can work on a flexible basis or more regularly (to suit your schedule).

What you can do:

1. Practical work with wardens & uplands teams
2. Heritage surveys
3. Ecology work
4. Visitor support

For more info contact: Amanda Brake, Volunteer Development Officer

amanda.brake@beacons-npa.gov.uk 

Broads

What you can do:

1. Maintaining the landscape: the broads were originally peat diggings (man-made), so need constant upkeep.
2. Ranger volunteer
3. Survey volunteer
4. Education volunteer
5. Events volunteer
6. Yacht station/ Potter Heigham/Barton Boardwalk volunteer (specific area of the Broads)

Find out more: https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/looking-after/how-you-can-help/volunteering/current-volunteering-opportunities 

Cairngorms

Here, there are opportunities for ongoing/ long-term volunteering opportunities as a ranger.

Other one-off opportunities include:

1. Conservationist work
2. Seasonal rangers
3. Working in the food bank
4. Wildlife recording
5. General maintenance

Current opportunities are listed here: https://cairngorms.co.uk/caring-future/volunteers/opportunities/ 

OR sign up to their mailing list: https://cairngorms.co.uk/caring-future/volunteer-cairngorms/ 

Dartmoor

Volunteering takes place as part of the donate to Dartmoor scheme. There are a lot of spaces for individual volunteers on conservation projects, practical work days and regular events

What you can do:

1. Practical volunteering (E.g., Tackling invasive non-native plants)
2. Mapping wildlife species
3. Leading educational walks
4. Outreach volunteer
5. Accessibility volunteer
6. Warden

Current opportunities are listed here: https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/enjoy-dartmoor/events/regular-volunteer-events 

OR sign up to their mailing list: https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-media/keep-in-touch 

Exmoor

What you can do:

1. Conservation and restoration
2. Working in stables
3. Wildlife museum steward
4. Wildlife recording & surveys
5. Climate action
6. Peatland & habitat restoration
7. Woodland creation
8. Tree planting
9. Nature-friendly farming

Current opportunities are listed here: https://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/getinvolved/latest-volunteering-roles-and-opportunities 

OR sign up to their mailing list: https://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/getinvolved 

Expression of interest form: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=5Z7B1bqujE2utd2HVffYsIU-gCjAcP1JiSmXvqsZM35UREVMWDJWUkNBSkIwWUxER1pOMkI3U1YwRC4u 

Lake district

There are a vast range of volunteering opportunities & perks to volunteering here - which include parties and access to volunteer-only guided walks.

What you can do:

1. Gardening
2. Dry stone walling
3. Woodland conservation
4. Wildlife surveying
5. Leading guided walks
6. Boat Crew
7. Visitor support
8. Park Management
9. Event volunteering

Current opportunities: https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/caringfor/volunteering/volunteer-roles 

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs

What you can do:

1. Visitor information
2. Volunteer ranger
3. Wildlife surveying
4. Habitat restoration
5. Tackling invasive species
6. Work alongside partners

Register interest here: https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/looking-after-the-park/volunteering/our-volunteers/volunteer-with-us/ 

OR for more info contact: volunteer@lochlomond-trossachs.org

New Forest

General volunteering works on a year-to-year basis, the park runs volunteering fairs each year to advertise roles and recruit. They also work year-round with partners to recruit for ongoing/ ad-hoc projects.

What you can do:

1. Improving countryside access (path clearance)
2. Heritage projects
3. Wildlife conservation
4. Working with the PEDALL project for inclusive cycling

Current opportunities are listed here: https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/communities/volunteer/partnering-with-us/search-for-opportunities/ 

North York Moors

What you can do:

1. Practical conservation volunteering
2. Habitat management
3. Tree planting
4. Property maintenance
5. Voluntary ranger
6. Ryevitalise project
7. Improving water quality, managing water level and reconnecting people with the environment.
8. Indoor volunteering

Current opportunities are listed here: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/looking-after/volunteering/current-volunteering-opportunities 

Northumberland

Recruitment runs on a project-basis, so types volunteering opportunities will vary dependent on the park’s current focus.

What you can do:

1. Roles in their exhibition space
2. Running educational programs
3. Monitoring of listed monuments
4. Preserving natural species & environment
5. Surveying public paths
6. Hadrian’s wall (UNESCO world heritage site) volunteers

For more info contact: volunteer@nnpa.org.uk 

Peak District

Volunteers work alongside paid staff and are provided with full training for their roles. The volunteer ranger program opens for recruitment twice a year.

What you can do:

1. Peak Park conservation
2. Voluntary ranger roles
3. Roles with partner organisations

Current opportunities are listed here: https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/looking-after/volunteering/current-volunteering-opportunities 

OR for more info contact: volunteering@peakdistrict.gov.uk 

Pembrokeshire Coast

There are loads of volunteering opportunities at Pembrokeshire, as well as some ongoing projects to get involved in.

What can you do:

1. Conservation work
2. Voluntary warden
3. Pathway clearance
4. Reducing invasive species (stitch in time project)
5. Working with the public
6. Guided walks
7. Activity leaders
8. Volunteering at non-park sites
9. Workshop/ talk volunteers
10. Event volunteers
11. Tree warden
12. Heritage monitor
13. Micro-volunteering
14. Roots to recovery project
15. Helping run the park’s partnership with Mind Pembrokeshire, leading activities for the program participants.

Roots to recovery contact: Email Sara@mindpembrokeshire.org.uk

Stitch in time project manager: MatthewT@pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk

OR for more info contact: volunteering@pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk 

Eryri (Snowdonia):

What you can do:

1. Litter picking
2. Tree & hedgerow planting
3. Voluntary warden
4. Dark skies volunteer
5. Stargazing project that runs September - January
6. Visitor guide
7. Roles with the Snowdonia society

Volunteer enquiry form: https://snowdonia.gov.wales/protect/volunteer/ 

For more info contact: Etta Trumper, Volunteering & Wellbeing officer

Etta.trumper@eryri.llyw.cymru 

South Downs:

Offers 1000s of volunteering opportunities in landscape & wildlife, community development and public access.

What you can do:

1. Volunteer ranger
2. Practical conservation work e.g., chalk grassland and heathland conservation, hedge-laying, surveying flora and fauna
3. Micro-volunteering
4. LookWild project
5. Environmental monitoring
6. Rights of way monitoring
7. South downs volunteering network
8. Office-based volunteering

For more info contact: volunteering@southdowns.gov.uk

Yorkshire Dales:

What you can do:

1. Become a Dale volunteer
2. Get involved in a project/ one-off volunteering (E.G, Farming and landscape protection)

Current opportunities are listed here: https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/park-authority/looking-after/volunteering/volunteering-opportunities/ 

OR for more info contact: volunteers@yorkshiredales.org.uk 

Stay wild,