Working for Nature

Twenty-four funded traineeships were available from 2018-2002 across Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust.  Trainees worked alongside a supervisor at the Wildlife Trust where they were based, learning practical conservation skills and studying for a City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Work-based Environmental Conservation, supplementing the practical work with knowledge and skills needed to work in the sector.  A wide range of conservation skills from coppicing to fencing to species identification were learnt and trainees achieved certificates in brush cutting and outdoor first aid.  Trainees also gained work experience at weekly work placements in other environmental organisations to supplement their learning. 

Read more about our trainees’ experiences in the ‘Trainees’ stories’ section below.

We want to build on the success of the Working for Nature traineeship to open up the world of employment in nature conservation to more people with a wide range of abilities and from different backgrounds, to represent the UK as a whole.  We continually look at new funding opportunities to provide more paid traineeships.  We post all our traineeships and job roles on our job page here. We are proud to be a living wage employer as we believe a hard day’s work deserves a fair day's pay.

Hi, my name is Sharron and I am placed with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. In my past I have been actively volunteering for over 10 years in the UK and overseas. I chose the traineeship to gain experience, certificates, skills and qualifications to help in my career change into becoming a full time conservationist. I am very passionate about doing something to improve the current situation faced by the wildlife in the UK. I am delighted that I have the opportunity to retrain with a great Trust in such a fantastic location. Since starting the traineeship I have been working closely with conservation experts, alongside volunteers and reserve managers and we have been undertaking activities such as  Hedge laying, Fence repairs, Pond management, Wooden construction, Meadow clearance and identification classes.

There is so much more to experience and learn. No two days are the same.

Completing the traineeship will be an incredibly important achievement that will help me to have a better understanding of biodiversity, habitats climate change, legislation and ecosystem services. It could also support me in securing a permanent role in environmental conservation.

Hi my name is James and I’m based at the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust as a Working for Nature trainee. I chose this traineeship as I have a keen interest in our natural world and would like to gain the skills to access a career in conservation.  I left school with a few GCSE’s and entered the construction trade working in various roles.  After About 10 years in the construction industry I decided to travel abroad and volunteer on wildlife projects. Working alongside people who had put their own lives on the line to devote their time to working with nature was an inspiring experience and encouraged me to change my career path.

While I knew I wanted to work in the field of conservation I struggled to get a foot in the door as I do not have the relevant qualifications. The Working For Nature project will help me to gain the relevant skills and knowledge to enable me to access a career in conservation.

Over the last few weeks we have worked alongside employees and volunteers to assist on nature reserves that have required maintaining to restore habitat and encourage native species on to the land. These initial few weeks have given a great insight into what it takes to look after the nature reserves and how the work of staff and volunteers can transform an area of land in a few hours. 

Everyone involved in the trust has a diverse range of knowledge and specialist in their own areas of interest. It has been great learning about the local land and its diverse range of species and habitat,  this has inspired me to further my understanding and I aim to encourage others to learn and find out more about nature. 

From feeding cows, to fixing fencepost to finding out about fungi, there is lots to learn on the Working for Nature programme and I am looking forward to gaining further skills to start a career in conservation.

I had to move to Egypt and then to the UK due to the unrest in Sudan. When I came to the UK in 2016, language was my first challenge.  Looking for a job was also a challenge for me because I didn’t know much English.  I went to organisations to help me find a job and they all asked me if I had work experience. I told them I was a farmer back home and that is all I have got! But that didn’t help me find a job. I really wanted a job outdoors as I grew up on a farm and I spent most of my life outdoors.

While I was learning English at the college, I came across a volunteering opportunity in the conservation sector with The River Stewardship Company. I started volunteering with The River Stewardship Company and I enjoyed working in the conservation sector. The River Stewardship Company is a social enterprise that works to improve waterways for wildlife and people.

Later on, I received a call from the organisation ‘The Circle’ that helps people find jobs. They told me about The John Muir Award and Working for Nature Traineeship. They asked me if I was interested. I was pleased to take this opportunity as I have always wanted a job outdoors.

It was fun and lovely working with the Trust, volunteers and staff. I visited lots of new places that I wouldn’t have been to.  I learnt a lot during the traineeship, not just about conservation but also my English and IT skills have improved a lot.  I would like to thank you for this opportunity and I would like to thank everyone who helped me complete this traineeship.

My name is Joshua Barnsdale and I was lucky enough to be given a spot at Idle Valley Nature Reserve on this traineeship. My story started when I started volunteering at Sconce and Devon Park as a Shadow Ranger. There I got my first taste of nature conservation and I knew that this was something I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing.

Before I started getting into my passion I suffered from extreme depression which led me to become an alcoholic with no future. Nature saved my life and gave me the confidence to climb out of that dark place and find my true calling in life. This traineeship has helped me progress as a person and I can say that this opportunity has opened my eyes wide.

In my first month, I have done everything from animal checking to wildlife management, even an outdoor first aid course which I found extremely interesting. Me and the other trainees did a harvest mouse survey which can be carried over to other species when surveying and has made me confident I can do surveys efficiently.

The ultimate goal of mine and where I hope the course can help me is to get my foot into nature conservation. I want to make this my lifelong career so I may better myself and improve nature not destroy it, protecting it for future generations. I believe as the world moves towards having more technology, we are forgetting where we came from and that we are not the only living things on the planet. It is important for children to get involved with nature and their surroundings so they may pass it on when they are older.

The course has been pretty physical and mentally challenging but I feel myself improving every week and getting better at adjusting to my environment. The course has taught me loads so far and I find it extremely interesting and informative.

The course is extremely fun and interesting but has its physical side to it, it keeps you healthy and feeling good that you are helping nature and improving every day. I have only been with the Trust for a month now and I already feel I have improved mentally and physically and would honestly recommend the traineeship. If your passion is nature and working outdoors then this placement is for you, don't worry just apply for it, you won’t regret it!

My name is Shaun and I am a Working 4 Nature trainee based at Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust. I decided to pursue the traineeship after I attended the John Muir award. I had never done outdoor physical labour before and didn’t realise I would enjoy it so much. Being outdoors in a green space and doing some physical labour actually turned out to be really fun. I have since gained a big interest in conservation as a whole and am interested in pursuing a career in conservation and I hope that this traineeship will give me the skills and experience I need to succeed. So far I have done loads of different tasks outdoors as the Sheffield and Rotherham team have lots of variation in the types of sites we visit and I think that’s my favourite part. Getting to visit so many sites and improve/maintain them is really fulfilling. Overall I am really enjoying the traineeship and believe it is helping me achieve my personal goals and better myself as a person.

Hi, I’m Mel, and I live in New Mills, Derbyshire, on the edge of the Peak District.

Prior to applying for the traineeship, I had spent 8 years in the financial services industry but had become increasingly unhappy and my job was taking a huge toll on my mental well-being. I decided to leave my job in search of my “why” and my search soon led me to the Working for Nature traineeship on the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust website. I think fate was at play because the information session took place the day after my final day in finance!

I remember feeling very intimidated and that there was no chance of me obtaining a traineeship place (that all too familiar imposter syndrome creeping in!) but my advice would be this… If you have a genuine passion for the environment, for wildlife, and caring for the precious world we live in, and think that perhaps a career in conservation might be for you, then push all those doubts aside and just go for it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I will never forget my nanna saying to me “we’ve got Mel back” only a few weeks into the traineeship because the transformation and happiness it brought about was almost instant. It is such a healthy and supportive environment and the friendliness of everyone will soon put you at ease.

The traineeship has equipped me with more knowledge and practical skills than I could ever have imagined in a relatively short space of time. Just some of the things I have been up to are: learning tree and wildflower ID skills, taming sheep, assisting with cattle TB testing and the badger vaccination, driving the pickup truck, visitor risk assessments, fixing fences, building drystone walls, QGIS training (mapping), volunteer work parties, installing waymarkers, building steps, forest school, outdoor first aid… the list really does go on. The opportunities available depend on where you are based and the supervisor you are assigned, but there is the ability to tailor the traineeship to some degree through discussions with your supervisor based on your interests.

The traineeship has been a pivotal period in my life. It has helped lift me out of a dark place, given me a renewed sense of purpose and confirmed that this is a sector in that I wish to pursue a career. I am not sure what will be next for me but I am currently exploring the potential avenues, aided by discussions with my supervisor and other trust members. The traineeship has provided invaluable experience that demonstrates a range of transferrable skills for future employment. However, the biggest thing for me, in addition to everything I have learnt, is the confidence that the traineeship has given me. For the first time in a very long time, I feel I have found my place and I am around people who hold similar values, and for me, it doesn’t get any better than that!

My name’s Jade and I’m currently a Working for Nature trainee with Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife trust. I decided to apply for the traineeship scheme to give me a chance and opportunity to start a career in conservation, away from jobs I haven’t particularly enjoyed. I didn’t continue education after my GCSEs for many reasons and always struggled in academic studies, finding it easier to learn practically. As I got older I realised that environmental conservation was a career I was very interested in but didn’t have any of the right experience to apply and financially would have struggled relying on volunteering. It also proved very hard to find a traineeship scheme being over 25 until I came across the Working for Nature scheme.

Since starting the traineeship I have learnt so much already. Being someone who suffers a lot with anxiety, I have found it to be an extremely supportive environment – support which I think has been crucial for me starting in a completely new sector and giving me the confidence to push myself and giving me hope that this is a career I can see myself progressing into. 

I am 9 months into this now and have learnt many different skills including ID Skills, coppicing and woodland work, dry stone walling, maintenance work including path work and step building and shrub clearance. The list could go on! Plus being able to pass my first aid and brush cutter course has been extremely useful for my career, something I would have struggled to finance without this traineeship. 

Working outside everyday has been amazing and so much fun. I sometimes can’t believe I’ve been given this opportunity; I feel very lucky and extremely grateful. Working with other volunteers has been a great part of this job, they are a friendly bunch and it’s always nice to have chats with them whilst working and has also been helpful learning from other volunteers too. 

There have been times when it’s been tough, the diploma side has felt quite overwhelming at times considering I struggle with written work, but over time I’ve managed to deal with this and there has always been support and patience throughout. I can also struggle when working and learning new skills in group environments but like I mentioned before the support has always been there and feel I am listened to and have been able to overcome these situations in my own way.

This course has opened a lot of career choices for me. I am particularly interested in learning more about woodland work, which has inspired me to already book myself onto a woodland management course. I am also now looking at applying for Assistant Ranger jobs and work with the Forestry Commission; jobs that I can now see myself applying for since starting this traineeship. 

Before this course I thought I would continue to work in jobs I didn’t enjoy. Now I have a chance to finally work in an area that I enjoy and a job that I can express myself in, being so passionate about nature and the environment. The traineeship has given me skills and experience that are crucial when it comes to applying for outdoor work within land management and conservation. This course has also played a huge part in my self-development which has given me a huge amount of self-confidence.

Hi, my name is Edward Harriss and this is my Working4Nature journey, and boy, what a journey it’s been. Living with Mild Asperger’s has been a massive challenge. My way of interpreting situations and answering questions has never been brilliant, but with help I’ve managed to pull through, especially when it comes to college. Practical work has always been my strength, which I realised when I did my first ever work experience with Rutland water. I completed Level 2 and 3 BTEC Diplomas in Animal Studies, tried higher education and I was nearly reduced to tears as I was nowhere near where I wanted to be so I left. I wanted to apply for courses more related to ecology but considering how I had fared in college, it wasn’t looking likely that I could even apply. Then, when scouting for conservation careers, I found Working4Nature.

Choosing W4N was quite possibly the easiest decision I’ve ever made. The previous year had not been kind to me, I had spent several weeks in a job I hated, I had dropped out of college, and my self esteem was at an all time low. W4N has given me a much needed confidence boost. It was exactly what I was looking for in a Conservation apprenticeship, practical, unpredictable, challenging and not without a few gorgeous natural surprises along the way. I was selected to work for Idle Valley Nature reserve in Retford, Nottinghamshire. Now that I’m here, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, this place has so much natural beauty.

I have always had a nagging doubt in the back of my head that I’m going to struggle to understand certain tasks, but working with other people and learning from them is a massive confidence booster, especially if you can have a laugh. I’ve never had any trouble IDing birds as I have been studying them since the age of 11. Mammals, insects and flora are my weak point, and being given seminars on these subjects has improved my understanding massively, especially when it comes to butterflies. The practical work on the reserves is extremely varied, some of it I had done before in previous work experience, some of it not. Fence repair, scrub clearance and path maintenance I was all very familiar with. Moving livestock, brush cutting, first aid, coppicing and hedge surveying, those were completely alien to me. These and many other skills have been the ones I have loved learning most on this traineeship.

After 8 months of working here I feel like a changed man. I took a big step for this traineeship, I moved away from home for the first time. It wasn’t easy, I’ll admit. In the first week at my host trust I felt extremely uprooted, I was in a place I didn’t know, I was nowhere near my family, I felt like I wasn’t latching onto the work as fast as I wanted to and part of me was wondering if I’d made the right choice. After two weeks, all those doubts were gone, I immediately started to settle into a rhythm and I felt like I had a routine in place, one of the biggest positives for me is a proper routine.

This traineeship has already opened a new gateway into my life. When I started here I thought the next segway into the industry would be an easy one, but in fact it’s opened my eyes to a whole load of possibilities. Instead of one idea of what I want to do in this industry I have several – Ranger, Public Speaker, Wildlife Photographer, maybe even making documentaries, but I don’t view this as a bad thing at all. You can never aim too high or too low, as long as you are happy doing what you are doing and that view can carry you a long way.

My goals before starting this traineeship were to gain knowledge, confidence and experience, and I have definitely achieved that. My confidence is still slowly building but in order to build on it more I really want to start communicating with other people, become a voice for wildlife. I want to be the one who tells people how important nature is to the world and engages them in it, makes it exciting for them. If I can find a job where I can give public talks on wildlife as well as do my bit for conservation in the practical sector, then that would be my ideal job, and W4N is definitely a good step in the right direction.

My name is Charlie and because of this traineeship, I have been able to enjoy this year doing a job I love! Not a day has felt like work, even on the rainy days when the tasks are hard it’s been a great learning experience. Before this traineeship I had been working in offices for the last few years and was made redundant in lockdown. The traineeship allowed me to retrain in a sector I have always dreamt of working in.

I’ve done Outdoor First Aid training, brushcutter training and much more. I’ve also worked at a placement at Eco Works in St Ann’s in Nottingham which has been so fun and informative. I have been involved in a ‘dig and dinner’ community permaculture project and I have learnt so much and met so many interesting and informative people. I now have plans to apply for university to continue my studies in the outdoor sector. I wish to merge my passion for nature and community to work with a wide range of people in beautiful natural spaces.

I wish to merge my passion for nature and community to work with a wide range of people in beautiful natural spaces.

Hi I’m Rowan and I’ve been on the Working for Nature traineeship at Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust. I initially applied after being in the catering industry for over 5 years. When lockdown happened I had time off for the first time in years and spent it cycling out to the peaks with my pops, who’s an ecologist. I realised I wanted to enter the field of conservation in this time and couldn’t really see a way with volunteering as I needed to work full time to sustain my household. But then I came across the traineeship and thought I’d apply.

The process was hard work as I’d only found out about it a week before the deadline, but I ended up with an interview, which I have to say was awesome! I didn’t think I’d be getting interviewed while eating bilberries in beautiful heathland! I feel very lucky to of had this opportunity and have really enjoyed this past year learning everything from surveying techniques to coppicing and dry stone walling but best of all I’ve met awesome people and lifelong friends. ! One of my highlights this year was definitely doing Nightjar surveys – I got to spend my birthday out at dusk looking for the weird tiny dragon-like birds. This year has been great and I’m looking forward to putting everything I’ve learnt to good use.

There’s nothing better than scurrying around with a load of other people that love nature like you!

The Working for Nature Traineeship has changed my life completely. I didn’t believe that I could ever learn so much within such a short period of time in terms of nature conservation, let alone get a job in the sector at the end of the traineeship.

I was working for several years in logistics in a money-driven, busy and stressful environment that did not get me anywhere. I spent my hours outside of the office outdoors doing anything that made me alive – being in nature, hiking, climbing or running. I always knew there was something else for me out there, something that made sense doing and something I could contribute to. My dreams about becoming a Ranger were never stronger. I felt my attitude, energy, and outdoor personality would be of great use to help me achieve my goal but back then I had only heard stories and opinions about how hard it was to get into the nature conservation sector.

I began my journey by signing up as a volunteer with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and volunteered for a week at the Centre of Alternative Technology in South Wales. This wasn’t enough - I wanted to get in the sector quickly. I consider myself a very lucky person as during my slow progress of becoming junior conservationist. I met a very kind Ranger who told me about the Working for Nature Traineeship at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. I knew it was for me and applied. I couldn’t believe how many like-minded people with the same values are out there.

When I started my placement it didn’t take long for me to finally feel like I was home.

In the 11 months that have passed, I’ve learned an unimaginable number of practical skills like fencing, drystone walling, bridge and footpath construction and repair, bird, flower and tree ID and much more! I was leading group of hardworking volunteers at number of reserves within Derbyshire, I gained brushcutter and PA 1 pesticide ticket and got a Level 2 Diploma in Conservation and Habitat management. I can’t imagine any other path in my life that would put me through such a renovating and life-changing process.

Every day brought new adventures, new tasks, and issues to resolve.

The traineeship made my dream come true, I’m now full-time employed by an environmental company as Habitat Restoration Operative and this is only the beginning of my journey.

I’m Gill and I live in the wonderful Peak District. Before the Traineeship I had a career in teaching adults and after that a few office and retail jobs which fit around my personal circumstances and other responsibilities at the time. All the working days I would be longing to get outside either to follow pursuits and get active or just give the garden a bash and be in the elements!

In February 2021 I was made COVID redundant and simultaneously my personal circumstances changed. Once over the shock, I realised I had a perfect opportunity to reshape my life and make it look and feel how I wanted. This would be outside, physically active, working with and for people and nature and supporting the local environment. This would be the conservation sector then - and I would have to start at the beginning. My transferable skills are around facilitation, skills tutoring and engaging with people but I knew nobody and had no experience in the environmental sector.

I did all the free training, reading and job applying I possibly could. Having gathered a lot of information about long and infeasible environmental science/conservation courses and after 7 months of job applications leading nowhere I was becoming despondent and a sinking feeling crept in.

Then I found the Working for Nature Traineeship and applied whilst trying to push away thoughts that I would never get on it. The John Muir Award was part of the application process and I loved doing it. It showcased that everything I do in my day to day life and even on holiday is about the environment, caring for it, enjoying it and learning about it.

Four months later I had been offered a place on the Traineeship and hadn’t felt that good about my working life for a long time.

I knew it was going to be brilliant because I love being in rain and hail (we started in January), using big tools and doing something positive in habitat creation and restoration.

A lot has happened in a short time and it has probably been one of my best ever years. I gained skills in coppicing, stonewalling, hedge-laying and fencing. Got introduced to cattle management and handling, was bowled over by GCN and dormice surveying, got confused and then some clarity on ID skills for trees and wildflowers. It’s been great fun working with volunteer task parties, driving big vehicles and feeling like you are part of a team of like-minded people.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust staff have been welcoming and supportive and very pleased to let me investigate my areas of interest which have been many! I had a Supervisor and a Mentor so there is always support or guidance when needed.

The Working for Nature Traineeship is a fabulous way to get into the sector. You get a qualification and lots of practical experience for your CV.

Completion of the Diploma and the year is a first step on a new journey and I’m looking forward to the rest of my new found career.

Like a new shoot in spring, I’m looking forward to continuing my growth, development and enjoyment from such a fulfilling and worthwhile sector which brings people and nature together - to nurture, flourish and hopefully sustain in a healthy progressive way. I’m so pleased to be a part of it and would encourage anyone interested to keep going and keep trying even when it seems impossible.

Everybody’s journey will look different but you definitely can do it!

Before the working for nature traineeship I had little idea what I wanted to do. I’d been doing odd gardening jobs for friends and family. I knew I wanted to work outside but I needed to find something that had a purpose and made a meaningful difference to our society and environment.

I saw the Working for Nature traineeship and initially I doubted myself whether I was capable. This feeling was eased by the way the advert was worded, it didn’t focus on what qualifications I had or whether I had a great wealth of experience. Instead it
was open to people who, like me, had struggled to find their path in life and wanted to have a positive impact on nature but didn’t know where to begin. The stories of previous trainees were very relatable and helped to reassure me that I could do it.

Within the first month I learnt so much about wildlife and their habitats, general ID of fauna and flora and the basics of woodland management by way of coppicing.

Throughout the year we have had practical training in coppicing, hedge laying, drystone walling, fencing and we have been put through our Outdoor first aid and Brushcutter course. I was also very fortunate to be able to do my chainsaw course which is a huge advantage when it comes to future employment.

I’ve had to pinch myself throughout the year, I couldn’t believe I was being paid to work out in nature with lovely people and being given all the training and support I needed.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I have been given and I am now looking forward to my future within conservation.

My name is Robin and I am a Working for Nature trainee based at Idle Valley in Nottinghamshire. Before I began my traineeship I worked a regular hospitality job and despite my interest and passion for wildlife conservation and nature this seemed like it would only ever be available to me as a hobby. Despite my eagerness to enter the field, due to a lack of qualifications in this area the realm of conservation felt completely inaccessible. Being temporarily out of work over lockdown presented the opportunity for me to immerse myself in nature again, inspiring me to push as hard as I could to progress into this field of work. Through consistent research I discovered the working for nature programme and knew I wanted to work as hard as I possibly could to become a part of it.

Having known this was my passion but feeling discouraged from it for so long due to a lack of on-paper experience I couldn’t have been more grateful to be presented with the opportunity to finally get my foot in the door and was dedicated to fulfilling this training, even moving away from home in order to be able to complete the traineeship.

Over the first few weeks, I settled into my position straight away and felt incredibly lucky to work in such a positive environment and to be around people with the same passion for nature.

I have been lucky to work on a range of reserves from ancient woodland to wild flower meadows, helping to maintain these incredible, essential habitats and learning plenty about them along the way. I have had a wonderful experience working with the amazing range of conservation grazers at idle valley, from the longhorns to the hebrideans, a very unique and special opportunity that I feel incredibly grateful to have been given.

Not only have I been presented with incredible experiences, I have met a range of wonderful people along the way from the rangers who have taken me under their wing, the volunteer groups who made me feel so welcome and the other trainees who have inspired me along the way. Overall I have been consistently made to feel part of the family and despite my time here being only a year I will miss it greatly and value the experience for the rest of my life. This traineeship has given me the chance to not only progress into a sector I never thought would be accessible to me, but to excel to the highest possibility.

Sam joined the Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust trainees alongside Rowan and Joe. His teamwork, interpersonal skills and problem solving impressed us from the start.

His supervisors said:

“When Sam is on site, he works brilliantly in a team, and grafts. He is always a positive influence on the volunteers which is a great characteristic for keeping high energy work throughout the day.”

Before joining the Working for Nature traineeship, Sam had worked in engineering, labouring and hospitality Sam has now successfully acquired a job at English Heritage working as an Apprentice Gardener, using the skills and knowledge gained from the traineeship.

We wish him all the very best for his career in the environmental sector!