Assistant Ranger
Cotswold Lakes Trust
Cotswold Lakes Trust is seeking a new Assistant Ranger to join its team working to manage and enhance the Cotswold Lakes (formerly known as Cotswold Water Park) for wildlife and people.
Covering an area of more than 42 square miles and 180 lakes, the Cotswold Lakes is home to an abundance of wildlife - from Bittern to Beaver, and Otter to Oystercatcher - as well as dragonflies, butterflies, reed beds, meadows, ponds, marshes, wet woodland, and rich scrub. Add in the built environment with historic towns and villages such as South Cerney, Cricklade, Fairford, Lechlade, and Ashton Keynes, and you’ll begin to appreciate the true mosaic of landscape within which the Trust operates.
As a key part of a small team of staff you will help to manage, maintain, shape, and create a suite of countryside sites including Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI), nature reserves, country parks, and public access infrastructure. You will work alongside volunteers, partner organisations and landowners to achieve benefits for wildlife and people.
You’ll need to be adaptable and willing to pitch in where needed, whether it’s carrying out your regular duties, or helping to run a fundraising event, assisting on a guided walk, or promoting our membership. You’ll be given the support and equipment needed to develop your skills in a place that’s bursting with potential. You’ll be keen to learn but will hopefully already have an affinity with the countryside and conservation, including access to it by the public.
You’ll be part of a team of rangers and volunteers making improvements to our own sites and, where appropriate, those owned by others. We regularly carry out partnership work with lake owners, minerals operators, conservation organisations and statutory bodies. Day to day you could expect to be managing important wildlife habitats through coppicing, felling, and hedge laying; or managing country parks and public access routes with brushcutters, mowers, and our faithful tractor Bertha.
There are always fences to repair and replace; as well as tools, equipment, and vehicles to maintain and keep clean; and the far from glamorous but sadly essential litter picking. If you don’t already, then you’ll soon learn to love all these tasks come rain or shine (or snow) …
About Cotswold Lakes Trust
Cotswold Lakes Trust is a charity dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of the Cotswold Water Park for the benefit of wildlife and people.
Cotswold Lakes Trust runs several varied and interesting projects, through specific grant funding. These range from the ongoing Cotswold Water Vole Recovery Project and environmental enhancements on key sites within the Cotswold Water Park through to improvements to public leisure sites that the Trust manages.
Cotswold Lakes Trust is a charity dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of the Cotswold Water Park for the benefit of wildlife and people. Cotswold Lakes Trust runs several varied and interesting projects, through specific grant funding. These range from the ongoing Cotswold Water Vole Recovery Project and environmental enhancements on key sites within the Cotswold Water Park through to improvements to public leisure sites that the Trust manages.
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