Volunteering in conservation: My experience at 9Trees
As a student, have you ever wondered how to make that big leap from academic learning into the real-world of conservation? I know I have. I have often questioned how I, as a student with little field experience or practical training, can actually achieve my dream of a conservation career. After all, you hear how intensely competitive job offers are, and often you feel like a complete novice in a room of experts. In addition, you seem faced with a Catch-22 situation; needing experience in conservation to get experience in conservation! Faced with all this, how can you get your foot in the door and gain the skills you need to make that step? For me, it was working with 9Trees.
The path into conservation can often be unclear but gaining experience at an organisation remains the surest way to get a foot in the door.
9Trees offers a vast array of opportunities that can be extremely useful to a student just starting out, looking to gain conservation experience. Such experience can range from tree care (by volunteering on eco-matting days) to habitat management. And it is not just field experience that is on offer, there are also many behind-the-scenes opportunities, be this in administrative roles or social media. All of this not only looks great on your CV but can also aid you in your studies at university, giving you knowledge of what practical conservation looks like in the real-world. Through working with 9Trees, you can also make valuable contacts within the wider ecology and conservation industry, as well as with landowners and other potential employers. In my time at 9Trees, I personally have made very useful connections with a number of wildlife charities including the Wildlife Trusts.
A young oak tree at one of 9Trees mid-Wales planting sites. Eco-matting days are just one of the many ways to get involved with 9Trees. During these days, volunteers come together to weed away any grasses caught inside the tree guard and to put down fresh cardboard and wool - an effective natural mulch layer.
As well as practical experience, 9Trees offers you the chance to gain broader skills for a career in conservation. Transferable skills such as teamwork and time management, among many more, can be enhanced. Such skills, in tandem with the experience you gain, can give you an advantage when applying to anything from jobs to official licenses for protected species.
Finally, working with 9Trees can also lead to paid job opportunities. For example, 9Trees is currently offering 4 kick-starter roles for those aged between 18-24. These are paid positions which include a Junior Fundraising officer, 9Trees Ambassador, Regional Representative and Social media manager. Once these roles have been filled they still want to build capacity so, if you are interested, it is well worth putting your name down to help create yourself a job for the future!
Something that I appreciate a lot about working for 9Trees is the knowledge that I am making a positive difference. In recent years, tree planting has come under fire and often for good reason. Rather than prioritising getting as many trees planted as possible, 9Trees focuses on doing tree planting responsibly, combining native broadleaf species and a thorough assessment of the suitability of the land for planting. They also manage the woodlands that they create for 50 years, thus maximizing the impact of their work and the benefits to biodiversity.
The right trees in the right places. At this 9Trees site in mid-Wales, willows are grown around the marshy edge of the site whilst oaks and beech are grown on the drier ground. This attention to detail is applied to all 9Trees’ sites.
In summary, working with 9Trees offers enormous opportunities for students and has something to offer for everyone! As an example of this, I myself, a current student at Cardiff University, now work as a blog writer and student liaison for 9Trees. So, if you are currently wondering how to make that leap from academic learning into the world of conservation, why not consider 9Trees? From my own experience, I have already gained valuable experience, learnt a lot of skills, and met some amazing people. If this interests you, feel free to drop a line at info@9trees.org or, if you are looking for paid roles, check out the “kickstarter opportunities'' at https://www.9trees.org/kickstart-opportunities. For volunteering opportunities, please do explore https://www.9trees.org/volunteer-opportunities.
By Matthew Hopes - Blog Writer and Student Liaison