Environment Monitor (Snaizeholme)

At the Woodland Trust, we work hard to protect, restore and create woodlands. It’s important to us to measure the impact of the success of that work on flora, fauna and on habitats and the environment as a whole.

Nestled in the Yorkshire Dales, Snaizeholme is a striking glacial valley where windswept slopes climb nearly 1,000 feet, cut through by lively streams and the ancient routes of the Pennine Way and Pennine Bridleway. It’s a place of big skies, dramatic weather and raw, wild beauty.

Once part of the vast Forest of Wensleydale, the land is now largely bare. The Woodland Trust is working to change that through one of England’s largest native woodland creation projects, planting new forests and restoring vital habitats such as peatland, limestone pavement and riverside meadows to help this extraordinary landscape recover.

This restoration will create & enhance a thriving patchwork of habitats that support some of the UK’s most treasured wildlife, including red squirrels, curlew, black grouse, otters and white clawed crayfish. With every tree planted and every habitat restored, Snaizeholme is steadily becoming a thriving haven for nature once again.

At Snaizeholme we have a programme of research happening onsite, including looking at plant life and bird species.

Environmental monitoring volunteers support this by carrying out ecological survey work on site or online to gather data. This will be done in conjunction with the Woodland Trust site team and external organisations who are carrying our scientific research on site.

For this role, you will need access to a phone, internet and appropriate clothing for the task and weather conditions, including sturdy footwear. You will also need transport, as Snaizeholme is not accessible by public transport. The site has uneven and steep terrain, and so we suggest that applicants have a good level of physical fitness. Due to the nature of the Snaizeholme site, volunteering applicants need to be over 18 years of age.