Volunteering opportunities – Lundy 2023
Looking to gain experience in conservation? Want to get away from the busy mainland and experience living on a small isolated island? Want to surround yourself with breath-taking land and seascapes, interesting and thoughtful people and a wide range of fascinating and beautiful plants and animals? Well then why not apply to volunteer on the wonderful island of Lundy!
Once again we are inviting a number of lucky individuals to come to Lundy in 2023 to help the island's Conservation Team throughout the sailing season.
No specific qualifications or work experience is necessary to apply. However, candidates who have previous work experience in a similar role, are working towards a career in conservation, have a relevant qualifications and/or are experienced and enthusiastic birders/wildlife recorders will be well placed.
Positions available include:
Volunteer Assistant Ranger - 1 position available: 28th March until 27th October.
Essential: Some form of practical experience. Desirable: Practical qualifications e.g. LANTRA Brushcutter etc.
Volunteer Assistant Warden (Seabirds) - 1 position available: 28th March to 1st August.
Volunteer Bird Observatory Assistant Wardens - 1 position available: 28th March to 27th October although role shire from 28th March until 1st August and 1st August to 27th October considered for birders with good identification skills.
Essential Skills: Confident on migrating bird identification. Desirable skills: Experience bird ringing or exceptional candidates may already hold a ringing licence.
Volunteer Assistant Warden (Atlantic Grey Seals) - 1 position available: 1st August to 27th October.
Volunteer Marine Assistant Warden (camping) - 1 position available: 1st July until 7th September, some flexibility with dates for right candidate.
Essential skills: Rocky shore identification. Desirable: Familiarity with SCUBA diving equipment.
Role descriptions
Assistant Wardens: The work will be varied but will primarily involve the conservation and monitoring of the island's important seabird and seals colonies but also migrating bird surveys, butterfly transects, moth trapping and helping out the Ranger team with practical management tasks such as Rhododendron seedling searches, dry stone walling, etc. Involvement in more general island duties such as helping in the island recycling plant, housekeeping and visitor engagement will also be required.
Assistant Ranger: Work includes a wide range of practical conservation and estate management tasks including; grounds' maintenance, dry-stone walling, Rhododendron eradication, Bracken management, vegetation control, stock fencing, footpath maintenance, volunteer supervision, tree maintenance, etc – as well as helping out the Warden team with the various monitoring efforts and general island duties mentioned above.
To note, candidates should be of a hardy nature as working days can be long and in a range of weather conditions. Additionally, applicants must also be willing to and be capable of working near cliffs and steep slopes safely.
Hostel style accommodation will be provided for the majority of your stay on the island which will be shared with the other Wardens, Rangers and a number of scientific researchers. Due to infrastructure work it is likely that for some of the season volunteers will have to camp so this year we are asking volunteers to bring their own sleeping bags and tents. Large tents and camp beds available to borrow if you do not have your own.
Some meals (lunch and dinner or a shop budget) are provided in exchange for time spent helping either the Housekeeping Team and/or Tavern Staff. Additionally those applying for an Assistant Ranger position - in turn for all your hard work throughout the season, you will be provided with a suitable training course at the end of your post.
Closing date for all applicants is by 11:59 pm on 29th January 2023
All interviews will be held for this position in the week commencing 13th February 2023.
Links to application forms and job descriptions below:
Application form for ranger position
Job Description for ranger position
Application form for warden birds positon
Application form for warden marine position
Job description for warden positions
If you have any questions regarding the positions, please contact the island Warden via [email protected].