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Volunteering Schedule

Blasam Bashers

Saturday November 3rd
River Thames Clean-up at Richmond 10.00-1.00
The annual draw-off means that the River Thames at low tide upstream of Richmond half lock is lower than usual, allowing for accumulated rubbish on the river bed to be removed. Come and join us in the mud - wellies available ...
Meet on the slipway on the Middlesex side of Richmond Bridge http://goo.gl/maps/SiAVK
We hope to have a representative from the Marine Conservation Society to talk to us about the importance of cleaning up plastic waste from our rivers, streams and beaches. Low tide is at 1pm.

Sunday November 11th
River Crane - Rifle Club
(joint project with the Friends of the River Crane Environment- to be confirmed).

Tuesday November 13th, 10.00 - 1.00
Kingston Project - Tolworth Brook wood
Hazel coppicing, woodland management, footpath clearance.
We'll be continuing to cut back vegetation to open up the path along Tolworth Brook in Surbiton.
Meet at the car park off Raeburn Avenue and Meldone Close. See the map at this link http://goo.gl/maps/pwu1H

Saturday November 24th
Away Day on the River Brent
Tree planting event

Saturday December 15th
Crane Park Island Nature Reserve
Hedgelaying and management. Following on from the successful hedgelaying of previous years, we'll be doing a little bit more. Come and learn a traditional habitat management skill.

Please Note: The above event details and dates may be subject to change. Please check back nearer the event, or contact [email protected]

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.

Conservation Volunteering in Kingston-Upon-Thames

Do you live in Kingston, and want to get involved in helping to safeguard the natural environment around you? Get in touch, and tell us about your favourite green space in Kingston, and how it could be made better. Thanks to a grant from the City Bridge Trust, from September, the Environment Trust will be offering volunteering opportunities on one Tuesday and one Sunday of the month. Want to receive training in volunteer leadership and conservation skills? Get in touch to find out more about the opportunities available!

Practical Conservation Volunteering

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

Nature Conservation Volunteering in Kingston-upon-Thames

The Environment Trust has been successful in securing funding from the City Bridge Trust to promote nature conservation volunteering in the neighbouring Royal Borough of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Over the 12 months from September 2012, we hope to be able to partner with a range of existing organisations across the borough to support their volunteering efforts to improve the local environment.

We would also like to hear from schools who have an interest in incorporating some element of nature conservation volunteering into the curriculum as has successfully been achieved recently with Twickenham Academy. Alternatively, you may like to start up a new group dedicated to improving your local green space in Kingston.

The Environment Trust has over 25 years of experience in green space and heritage conservation, and with the support of the Southwest London Environment Network (SWLEN) and the Conservation Volunteers (formerly BTCV) is able to provide the staff time and tools needed to support community green space initiatives.

Whatever your interest, please get in touch with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call our admin team at 020-8891-5455.

City Bridge Trust logo

Corporate Volunteering opportunities with the Environment Trust - latest information is here.

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 new corporate volunteering leaflet here.

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

Volunteers Laying a Path