Help make Mortimer Forest a fantastic place

Join your local team of volunteers to learn new skills, meet new people and enhance your local forest for the benefit of nature and the community in a safe and supportive environment.

New group launching at Mortimer Forest

We are launching a new volunteer group at Mortimer Forest in January 2023 to assist with practical conservation and recreation tasks in order to help create more space for nature. Open space is so important for a variety of species and is currently being overwhelmed by silver birch and other shrubby tree species.

The group will initially meet fortnightly on Tuesdays during January and February 2023, and people are welcome to join for just a morning or the whole day. Sessions will run from 10am – 2.30pm. Over the summer we will move to a monthly session.

We will be holding an induction session on Tuesday 10 January for people to come and meet the Forestry England Rangers and visit a work site to find out if volunteering at Mortimer Forest is something they’d like to get involved in. 

What will Mortimer Forest volunteers do?

All tasks will be undertaken using Forestry England hand tools and will involve:

  • creating glades (small open areas) and habitat piles for wildlife.
  • checking recreation routes.
  • cutting back vegetation around way-markers.
  • undertaking citizen science wildlife surveys.

We will provide tools, personal protective equipment and full training. 

Person specification

We welcome people from any background and will do our best to adapt tasks to accommodate people if needed and safe to do so.

You will need to be able to:

  • move across rough, uneven ground.
  • use a bow saw, loppers or secateurs (full training and tool induction with be given).
  • carry materials short distances.
  • be comfortable working outside.

How to apply

To register your interest, please complete this Expression of Interest form. When asked which forest you would like to apply for, please type in 'Mortimer'.

A member of the team will be in touch on 3 January with you regarding next steps, but please pencil the induction day for 10 January in your diary.