Links with Nature has had a busy and successful winter, implementing woodland management, clearing scrub to restore grassland habitat, and installing nature-based solutions to improve local watercourses. Delivering this work would not have been possible without the continued support of our dedicated team of volunteers. In addition, our practical tasks have increasingly relied on our conservation trainees, who have swiftly embedded themselves within the team and now support our dynamic programme of greenspace activities. Emyr and Hayley joined us back in October. Time has flown since they started, due to the busy schedule of conservation tasks we have undertaken but also because of the many training sessions they have completed; each course and qualification adding to their growing skillset and ability to directly contribute to nature’s recovery.

Here our trainees will introduce themselves and describe some of the practical work they have completed during their traineeship thus far.

Since moving to the area five years ago I have brought the same mind-set to my own garden, having just planted 5m of hedgerow along part of the garden boundary, with plans to dig a wildlife pond in the near future. It was a very pleasant surprise to discover the abundance of wild spaces in the North East and I feel it is a great privilege to be working towards their improvement and maintenance.

It is heartening to see a good number of volunteers involved and engaged in our work, hopefully this number will grow further and they will be able to apply what they have learned elsewhere and share best practice techniques with others.

After our induction to the Trust, our first week consisted of scrub clearance and removal from two sites – Copt Hill and Flint Mill. I found the session on Copt Hill rather spiky due to the unforgiving Hawthorn and was very glad to have thick gloves and eye protection! The dead hedges laid were of good quality due to some skilled volunteers showing us the ropes.

At Elemore Park, we have installed leaky dams and improved recently excavated wetland scrapes. A very muddy day but thoroughly enjoyable. We got to collaborate with the Wear Rivers Trust and Sunderland City Council, which certainly sped up the work.

As our work at Flint Mill continued, we worked alongside contractors who were thinning larger trees that required plant machinery. This allowed us to inspect the results and consider any further woodland management work to be done. We also spoke to a concerned resident regarding anti-social behaviour in the area and possible solutions for this.

At Elemore Vale, we installed bank reinforcement along a footpath, improving safety and preventing erosion. We cut 8 stakes and installed them at the top of the bank, weaving hazel rods into them to create a robust barrier (Fig. 1) We also installed a similar barrier roughly half way down the bank and planted willow cuttings surrounding this (Fig. 2). Any excess was used to extend an existing dead hedge along the path, and we cleared leaf litter on one side of the path to guide pedestrians away from the unstable edge. At the Red Burn, which runs past the entrance to Rainton Meadows, we cleared trees and scrub from around the river channel with the assistance of Wear Rivers Trust. Some of these trees required chainsaws, and as work was along the path, precautions had to be taken to alert the public to any hazards. Dead hedges were built on the opposite bank to create new habitat and were secured by stakes to prevent any loose material falling into the stream bed. Improving the flow of the burn was another muddy but fulfilling day.

Having worked in the pet industry for just under 11 years it was time for a career change. I decided to go part time and back to college to study “Land and Wildlife Management” in 2022 as a stepping stone. This only enhanced my passion for conservation and pushed me to return to conservation volunteering.

Once I completed college, I was fortunate to have been offered this traineeship in September 2024 to begin in October. The traineeship appealed to me as living locally, I would be able to assist with enhancing local areas and see the positive changes it brings, along with repeatedly pointing out “I helped with that” on every walk to my partner and family.

Although I had quite a bit of hands on experience and knowledge in the sector, I was still nervous to join a whole new team and volunteers with many more years of experience compared to myself. Of course, there was no need to be nervous as everyone has been helpful and sharing their own knowledge, tips and experiences.

Over winter, we have been cutting trees and shrubs back, which before my college course I would have questioned, however I now understand it is “right tree, right place”. For example, Flint Mill has pockets of woodland that are starting to succeed onto the grassland and trying to revert back to woodland. Whereas having a mosaic of habitats boost biodiversity whilst the cuttings are used to create a dead hedge, forming a new micro habitat (Fig. 3).

My team and volunteers have been creating dead hedges at the Copt Hill, Elemore Park, Elemore Vale and the Redburn, improving the technique each time although feeding hawthorn and blackthorn into the hedge without a fight is still to be mastered! A few members of the public have complemented the hedges and the work we have been carrying out so far which is a fantastic as that is big part of the project.

The traineeship has provided various training to aid in future employment, which previous interviews were looking for those with tickets and experience. These include, outdoor first aid, chainsaw, 4x4, ATV, and trailer, etc. I am eager to take part in other opportunities such as ecological surveying such as (Harvest Mice, GCN, Bats, flora etc). Joining in public engagement events such as bat nights or nature/bird walks to share on my knowledge and hopefully get more people interested in the UK habitats/species and to just go on more walks.

What's to come

Our trainees continue to support our project through practical tasks and also our engagement programme, supporting local community organisations delivery activities that educate and improve wellbeing. Their training also continues, with a series of ecology sessions coming up soon. Having completed a traineeship with the Trust myself, I have personally benefitted from the experience and training it provides. It is a privilege to pass on my knowledge and experience while working with our trainees, whose dedication and hard work is helping to deliver improvements to local greenspaces, restoring habitats for wildlife and local communities.

Links with Nature are recruiting for two new conservation trainees - the application deadline for these posts is 5th May 2025. The nine month contract will help successful applicants break into the conservation sector. For details of these opportunities and other positions with the Trust, click here.