Get volunteering! By Ben Moyes

I have been volunteering at RSPB Minsmere for 4 years now, and I find it’s not only a great way to connect with wildlife myself, but also to engage other people visiting the reserve with wildlife too.

My main role as a volunteer at Minsmere is being a guide out on the reserve. This entails sitting in the various hides, and talking to visitors that come in to look at the wildlife, and showing it to them. I particularly like talking to children that come into the hides and showing them Minsmere’s speciality species, as I think that if you can get the younger generation hooked into wildlife, it bodes well for the future generation. We need a greater number of young wildlife enthusiasts, so do your bit, by getting your children to a local nature reserve, and show them the wildlife that the area holds.

There are many different roles you can undertake as a volunteer however. At Minsmere for example, you can be a receptionist, caterer or shop assistant. In their own way, they all link you to the wildlife around the reserve. For example, when catering, you will overlook the bird feeders, which are usually very busy with common bird species. Or, you may be outside collecting somebody's tray of food, which overlooks the amazing Sand Martin colony in the summer, where you can obtain really close views of flyby adults as they travel back and forth from their nests.

Purple Swamphen by Ben Moyes

My main interest in the wildlife world is birding, so whilst volunteering at Minsmere, birds are the main species I look for. Of course, you cannot go around the reserve without admiring the Avocets, Marsh Harrier, Bitterns or Bearded Tits. However, I have seen a few rare birds whilst volunteering at Minsmere. These include the Purple Swamphen, and American Cliff Swallow. I was lucky enough to see the Swamphen multiple times whist guiding on the reserve, and it was great to see a lot of people that didn’t know a great deal about birds coming to see this fascinating creature.

American Cliff Swallow by Ben Moyes

Moving away from the wildlife, you cannot fault the café at Minsmere. Every day I volunteer there this has to be one of my highlights! The cake is faultless, so when you visit the reserve, do not go without getting a slice of cake!

Having volunteering hours under your belt looks fantastic on your CV, and also when applying for University courses, particularly in conservation work. So, if you are a young birder, visit your local nature reserve, and become a volunteer. You will learn so many different things about the wildlife you see every day that you would not have noticed before, and it will be a great use of your free time!

Ben Moyes, @Ben_Moyes16