Types of opportunities
General opportunities
Include:
- Work parties for clearing vegetation and path maintenance
- Patrols
- Rights of way surveys
- Leading walks and events
- Litter picks
Work Parties
A work party is a small group of volunteers undertaking practical conservation work. Each work party may involve a different manual task such as dry stone walling, footpath repairs and tree planting.
Patrols
A patrol along a set route is more than just a walk. You may be asked to give help and advice to visitors, pick up litter, check the condition of the Right of Way and footpath furniture, carry out minor tasks such as clearing debris from culverts, cutting back seasonal growth using secateurs, and being aware of people who may be infringing bylaws. Whilst on a patrol Volunteers are the eyes and the ears of the National Park Authority. Once you have completed the patrol you fill in a Duty Report for the Ranger.
Rights of Way Survey
The Lake District National Park Authority is responsible for maintaining the Rights of Way network, looking after public footpaths, bridleways and byways. Each footpath needs to be surveyed on a rota basis as part of the legal duty of care. This is one of the Rangers' responsibilities and Volunteers assist by regularly carrying out surveys. As part of the survey, Volunteers look at the signs, furniture such as stiles and gates and whether the path needs any maintenance.
Guided Walks and Events
Volunteer-led guided walks for the general public are part of the Lake District National Park Authority Events programme. The guided walks open up many areas of the National Park to those who may not have the opportunity or skills to discover it for themselves. Guided walks take place all over the National Park, often starting from Tourist Information Centres. Guided walk leaders need to have a good understanding of the area, excellent communication skills and be prepared to complete appropriate training.
There is a future need for a broader range of volunteer-led activities in order to attract wider, and in particular, ‘hard to reach’ audiences. New training opportunities will be available to prepare volunteers for this evolving programme.
Public Talks
Volunteers host a number of slide shows and talks for the general public as part of the Lake District National Park Authority Events Programme. The talks can be on a variety of subjects from the life and times of a Mountain Rescuer to a specialist subject such as geology. You must be confident talking to an audience and have a good understanding of the Lake District National Park and National Park Authority.
Leading Public Navigation Courses
These are led volunteers for the general public to give people the skills to use a map and compass to navigate. The courses combine instruction with outdoor practice and help give participants more confidence to enjoy the outdoors safely. Volunteers who lead public navigation courses must be experienced in map reading and have a good knowledge of the area.
Wildlife Surveys
The different types of wildlife and plants in the Lake District National Park may need monitoring. Volunteers work with different members of staff to monitor different species, for example butterflies or trees which help us to build up a picture of the wildlife in the area.
Training courses
Appropriate training and mentoring will be provided before undertaking any of the tasks above. Courses we run include:
- Countryside Rights of Way (CROW) Act Training
- Dealing with the Public
- Introduction to Rights of Way
- LDNPA Knowledge
- Navigation Training and Assessment
- One Day Appointed Person First Aid
- Safe lifting
