Looking to gain some relevant experience?

As part of its 50th anniversary activities, the Snowdonia Society looked to the future and invested in its volunteers – by launching a new and accredited Practical Conservation Skills unit. The unit allows you to demonstrate your practical conservation skills – an essential in many job descriptions. This unit is ideal for those who wish to have a more formal way of demonstrating their practical experience and knowledge. Due to the success and popularity of this unit in our 50th year, we will be continuing to offer volunteers the opportunity to take part.

By undertaking this unit, you will:

• Undertake a range of practical conservation tasks in a range of habitats
• Demonstrate your ability to work in a safe manner, gain knowledge about risk assessments and the importance of e.g. personal protective clothing.
• Become familiar with a range of tools, their maintenance, and uses
This unit is great for people who already volunteer with us, or for those who are keen to begin. The unit should take around 30 hours to complete, with around 20 – 25 of these being out on workdays or doing practical tool maintenance.

Paper work is light, requiring you only to fill in brief a reflective log after each workday as well as filling in 2 risk assessments highlighting the main 3-4 risks of a site/task.

When can I take part?

You must be available to attend the first session on February 24th. You must then choose to attend at least three out of the following workdays:
• 2nd March – Invasive conifer clearance
• 9th March or 26th March – Woodland workday (please note you are welcome to attend both of these dates but only one can count towards the unit)
• 6th April – Footpath maintenance
• 23rd March or 18th April – Rhododendron clearance (please note you are welcome to attend both of these dates but only one can count towards the unit)
• 24th March – Tree planting
• 30th March – creation of split timber gates
• 11th April – Drystone walling

How to apply?

To apply for this unit, please send the following to mary-kate@snowdonia-society.org.uk by 9am on Monday February 11th.
• your name, age, address, contact email address, phone number
• How you heard about the course
• the dates you would attend if successful
• up to 200 words stating why you would like to take part
• If you would be interested in free transport please indicate this in your application. Depending on demand and your location we will do our best to help.
If you have been successful with your application, you will be notified by the end of the day on Wednesday February 13th. Thanks to our funders Cronfa Partneriaeth Eryri, the Campaign for National Parks and Waitrose, we can offer this round of training for free. However, places are very limited and if you were to be given a place you would be committing to attending 4 of the above dates.

What our recent volunteers said about their experience of completing the unit.