Green Space Volunteers
Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills, keep fit and socialise, while helping the environment at the same time.
Across Bridgend County Borough there are lots of volunteer groups.
Participating in outdoor volunteering is a great way to connect with people, get active and improve your physical and mental wellbeing.
Contact
Volunteering groups
There are a variety of volunteer groups across the county borough. Each volunteering group has its own particular tasks, you might:
- coppice trees
- create species lists or update records
- identify plants or species
- lay hedges
- learn about woodland management
- record fungi, survey bats or wildflowers
- Take people on walks or talks
This group has a series of varied countryside management events throughout the county borough. Led by instructors, activities include hedge laying and coppicing. Also, we hold nature walks and talks.
We will provided all necessary equipment. Yet please wear appropriate clothing and footwear for the day’s weather conditions. All children under 16 must be accompanied.
Bryngarw Country Park is important because of its many of trees, flowers, birds, mammals and insects. Its habitats include deciduous woodlands, wetlands, wildflower meadows, the River Garw and formal gardens. These all need to be managed to ensure visitors can enjoy them all year round.
Volunteers are vital to this work and their projects have included:
- restoring the orchard
- surveying our wild flowers
- coppicing the woodlands
- building an Iron Age roundhouse in our educational nature garden
At this site, volunteers meet one Saturday every month from 10am to 2pm.
To join, please contact:
E: bryngarw.park@awen-wales.com
T: 01656 725155
This group visits the countryside. Trips have involved:
- investigating historic sites
- updating records for less common species
- exploring less-visited areas to see what is there
- creating species lists for input into national databases and flora projects
- recording further monitoring details like populations, precise locations and habitat notes
Also, the group is a friendly forum for learning about botanical recording. This includes developing skills in plant identification, swapping tips for difficult species and groups and learning more about local habitats.
Everyone with an interest in plant recording is welcome whether they are beginners or experts.
This group records Bridgend County Borough’s fungi. It encourages an interest in fungi, and a greater understanding of it through trips, talks, and workshops.
These are open to both the public and members.
It promotes conserving fungi and threatened habitats of rare fungi.
For more information or to join, please contact:
You can volunteer at Kenfig National Nature Reserve. These are the contact details for more information:
E: biodiversity@bridgend.gov.uk
T: 01656 743386
The group regularly monitors roosts and surveys specific sites. As part of the Bat Conservation Trust’s National Bat Monitoring Programme, they do field surveys, waterway surveys, and sunset-sunrise surveys.
Also, the group advises homeowners who have roosts. They look after sick and injured bats as well. The bat group has regular walks for members.
For more information and to join, please contact:
E: vogbridgendbatgroup@gmail.com
Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend Bat Group website
Volunteering takes place on Wednesdays and Fridays. The trust welcomes a suggested donation of £2 towards their conservation work at each event.
The headquarters of the trust’s volunteering work in Bridgend County Borough is at Parc Slip Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre. It has a coffee shop serving lunch and snacks, toilets, and a free car park.
E: t.jones@welshwildlife.org
T: 01656 724100
The Bridgend Local Nature Partnership (LNP) aims to reconnect people with nature. The partnership brings communities together to explore, discover and share nature on their doorstep. This in turn can provide benefits to our local wildlife.
The Bridgend LNP brings together a wide range of organisations. This includes individuals with an interest in local nature and representatives of:
- Bridgend County Borough Council
- Natural Resources Wales
- Swansea University
- Plantlife
- Wildlife Trust
- Bryngarw Park
- Keep Wales Tidy
This LNP is part of a nature recovery network made up of 23 local nature partnerships across Wales. Together, these partnerships aim to create a Wales that is rich in nature for all through sharing knowledge, experience and best practice.
Email: Jess.Hartley@bridgend.gov.uk
Volunteer days happen on Wednesdays and Fridays. Tasks might include:
- Spring: surveys, path clearance, fence work, boardwalk creation and maintenance, access work, woodland glade management.
- Summer: path clearance, fence management, surveys, meadow management, invasive species management, access work, woodland glade management.
- Autumn: coppicing, woodland management, hedge laying, surveys, habitat creation, access work, reedbed management.
- Winter: access work, reedbed management, coppicing, woodland management, habitat creation.