The taster days will include information all about the project, a chance to get hands on conservation experience and if you attend all four, the opportunity to get a John Muir Discovery Award. The sessions are being held on 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st at the YMCA in Derby (770 London Road, DE24 8UT) and various nature reserves in the region.
Working for Nature is an important project to teach and preserve vital conservation and habitat management skills started in 2018 thanks to funding of £750,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The funding means Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust are collaborating on a four year project to train 24 people in vital conservation skills so they have a chance to go on to get a career in the environment sector. The next year of full training starts in September and people are being encouraged to make an application now in order to access the training programme. Recruits who are successful will study for their Level 2 Diploma in Environmental Conservation as well as receiving internal training from all three Trusts that will equip them with habitat and species management skills.
Awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the generous funding will also mean 100 people will take part in the John Muir Discovery Award over the four year period.
The fascinating programme came about because the Trusts are concerned that important conservation skills may be lost from generation to generation unless there is an appetite for people to study conservation and carry them forward. Along with this, the team wanted to ensure that people who have struggled to get a formal education would have a chance at taking part and gain lifelong skills.
Each round of training is from September to July. Recruitment will be live on 1st July and will close on 19th July. The Working for Nature project training is open to anyone over the age of 18 and particularly aimed at those who have not received graduate level education and can commit to a full time (or part time on request) schedule of training.