We have no paid staff (although we sometimes employ specialist tradesmen for particular tasks)

Shepherding We have two teams of six shepherds/shepherdesses who. between them, ensure that both our flocks of sheep get a daily visit, water top-up and extra hay or feed pellets when necessary

Administration The administative side of work: including fund-raising, accounting, contact with members and supporters, website & newsletter production, deciding on our priorities and organising events is done by a team of eight directors who are elected at each year's AGM

Woodmanship The physical work of nature reserve management (coppicing, hedge maintenance, grassland management, maintaining our farm buildings, composting toilet and tractor) is done mainly at monthly work-parties attended by a team of volunteers some of whom also help with partucular tasks as the need arises in between advertised work parties.

DIY We have erected a donated stable block, overseen the building of a composting toilet, set-up a solar panel producing free maina voltage electricity as well as powering the electric fence, laid hoggin to make our entry tracks and car-park useable in wet weather and are now making part of the stable into a school-room,

Natural history surveys Studying the wildlife on our reserves, so that we know what species are present and can detect whether the ones we especially want to protect are getting commoner or rarer, is done by individual naturalists knowledgeable about particular groups of plants or animals. Many of them are members of the Essex Field Club - the key wildlife recording society in our county.

Children's events We run a Wild Child Club for home-schooled youngsters - this is permitted even during lockdown. When social gaterings are permitted we run children's birthday parties.

Can you mend tractors?

Want to help? Our newsletters advertise the type of volunteer we especially need at the moment, but there is no need to wait for an advertised appeal for help. Just email us and say what type of help you might be willing to offer.

Top of document