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Volunteering Schedule

Sat 25 Feb, 2012, 10.00am - 1.00pm approx
Kew Towpath
Willow Spiling

Sat 24 Mar, 2012, 10.00am - 1.00pm approx
Kilmorey Mausoleum
Spring habitat management

Sat 28 Apr, 2012, 10.00am - 1.00pm approx
Richmond Old Deer Park
Hedge management

Sat 26 May, 2012, 10.00am - 1.00pm approx
Ham Meadow
Invasive plant management

Sat 30 June, 2012, 10.00am - 1.00pm approx
Crane Park Island Nature Reserve
Wildflower meadow management

Sat 28 July, 2012, 10.00am - 1.00pm approx
Barnes towpath
Litter picking, railing painting

All are welcome at these events. They usually last 2 - 3 hours. We kindly ask that you let us know in the week prior to the event if you plan on coming – this ensures that we bring enough tools and biscuits! Please arrive promptly at the start for the initial briefing and stay for as long or as little as you like. All you need to bring are a pair of tough boots or shoes, some old clothes and a robust sense of humour! Gloves and tools are provided. For further information and to be added to our circulation list to be kept up to date of further volunteering opportunities, please contact the office.

Practical Conservation Volunteering

See the Environment Trust's Volunteering Diary for reports on all the latest activities, with pictures, and a list of upcoming volunteering events.

Ivybridge in Bloom initiative

Young bulb planters at start of Ivybridge in bloom On a freezing January day the Environment Trust launched its Ivybridge in bloom initiative in partnership with Hounslow Homes and BTCV. Over 80 local people braved the cold and planted a total of 1500 bulbs. This is part of a new initiative for the Trust to run environmental, community projects in areas of relative deprivation outside the borough of Richmond. We are grateful to the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation for funding this project.

Clearing the Melancholy Walk at Ham

42 volunteers braved the hostile weather to work on the clearance:

Clearing the path at the Melancholy Walk at Ham House

See the Difference: Helping Londoners look after their environment

See the Difference link to video

Watch our volunteers in action, and learn how you can help support our volunteering and education programmes.

Volunteering: It’s fun!

Volunteers making nesting rafts

Do you like to spend time outside? Why not take part in our regular practical work mornings. You can help us to maintain and improve valuable public sites and local landmarks for the benefit of the whole community. You too can help to promote and enhance the diversity of plants, insects, and aquatic life.

At the same time, you can pleasantly improve your practical skills in safe use of tools and learn more about our environment, the river and its ecology. We all benefit from the greater awareness of the natural environment and sense of responsibility for its care and protection amongst local residents and interest groups.

It’s easy too!

We have lots of different opportunities for supervised practical work and instruction as needed.

You don’t need any special knowledge or skills and everybody is welcome. All you need is to be reasonably fit, dress to get wet and dirty and have a good sense of humour! Tools, equipment and gloves are supplied.

Children and young people under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

The dates

You can choose from regular gardening and maintenance at Kilmorey Mausoleum and Vineyard Passage Burial Ground. Or you can take part in monthly events around the Borough, often with a focus on the Thames and its immediate surroundings.

We work closely with BTCV, Richmond Council, Thames Landscape Strategy and other landowners like the Royal Parks and Friends of Strawberry Hill who welcome the contribution our volunteers make.

View the latest schedule on the right-hand side of this page.

Corporate volunteering

Volunteers from Cisco Systems It’s not just for individuals! We run corporate volunteer days during normal working hours for companies who wish their staff to undertake conservation work as part of their internal programmes.

The company benefits, the environment benefits and we do too. The income this provides helps us to employ a part time Volunteer Coordinator so we can extend the work we do. In particular, we will provide more opportunities for a wider range of volunteers including people with physical or learning difficulties.

View our corporate volunteering leaflet here.

See the current Volunteering Schedule on the right-hand side of this page.

Volunteers Laying a Path