Meet the DWT Reserves Task Force Team!
Meet our team! Here you will find a small introduction to the Durham Wildlife Trust Volunteers and Staff who manage Durham Wildlife Trust’s 33 Nature Reserves.
The Volunteers
The DWT volunteer task force!
Hi! We’re the Durham Wildlife Trust Task Force Volunteers. We come from all walks of life. A wild mix of youth and wisdom! We all volunteer on the Trust’s 33 nature reserves. Some of us came to the Trust with a keen interest in wildlife, others amongst us wish to keep fit and active, and many of us wanted to meet new people and make new friends. We all enjoy the opportunity that volunteering with the Trust gives us to socialise, learn lots of new skills, and get close to nature!
The Volunteer Reserve Officers (V.R.O’s)
Pesticide training with the V.R.O’s!
Hello! We’re the V.R.Os for all of the Durham Wildlife Trusts Reserves. We volunteer three days a week for the Trust. The Volunteer Reserve Officer programme is a year long placement, where we gain the necessary experience, skills and training to pursue a career in nature conservation. If you go to the V.R.O training scheme page you can find out more information about becoming a V.R.O and check out what kind of careers our past V.R.Os have found themselves in!
The Reserves Staff
Hi, we’re Steve, Chris and Ian and we’re the Reserves Officers for the Northern, Eastern and Western Reserves (respectively). We’re responsible for managing the task force volunteers, our jobs include producing the work programmes, reviewing the management plans, monitoring species and habitats, ordering materials and making sure everyone is enjoying themselves!
Chris – Eastern Reserves Officer
Ian – Western Reserves Officer
Steve – Northern Reserves Officer
Mark Dinning – Senior Reserves Officer
Hi I’m Mark Dinning, the Senior Reserves officer who’s role is to undertake the survey and monitorring all of the reserves, manage staff and volunteers, liase with grazers, provide specialist training, organise promotions of the trust and to oversee the management planning to ensure effective recording and evaluation of the reserves.
Mark Richardson – Reserves Manager
Hi. I’m Mark Richardson, the Reserves Manager with Durham Wildlife Trust. I oversee the management of all of the Trust’s nature reserves. Here, I am leading the volunteer training day on the National Vegetation Classification. Judging by the mass of vegetation in my hands, there’ll be no need to graze Raisby Hill Grassland this year!”
