The Role
The Thames Basin Heaths Partnership (TBHP), hosted by Natural England’s Thames Solent Team, is fully funded from developer contributions, and is overseen by the TBH Joint Strategic Partnership Board (JSPB), a body comprising 11 local authorities, and Hampshire and Surrey County Councils. Working in partnership with Natural England colleagues, the TBH local authorities, SPA land owners and managers, and other stakeholders, you will support the project and enable it to achieve its objective of helping to protect the SPA from recreational pressures arising from new housing development.
As Warden you will;
• Work as part of the TBHP warden team, providing an on-the-ground wardening service on the TBH SPA. Working closely with the SPA landowners and managers and other key partners, you will be engaging directly with the public to raise awareness amongst visitors of the importance and sensitivity of the SPA.
• Promote the use of Suitable Accessible Natural Greenspace (SANG) sites as an alternative destination to SPA visitors.
• Provide a consistent SPA/ SANG message, including the use of promotional and educational material.
• Assist with educational activities, both on and off the SPA, and contribute to events, workshops, guided walks, etc., as required.
• Encourage responsible dog walking and discourage negative recreational activities where they impact on the SPA and reporting illegal activities to landowners/ managers.
• Work with existing landowner/ land management staff to assess visitor infrastructure and focus on the practical experience of visitors to identify on-the-ground improvements.
• Be willing to learn new ways of working and new technologies.
• Admin tasks where required. E.g keeping important internal admin up to date and entering data accurately and promptly, such as wardening stats, onto system.
• Other activities as required.
Based in the Thames Solent Area Team, you will be working as a warden in our wardening team, providing an on-the-ground wardening service on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (TBH SPA). Working closely with the SPA landowners and managers and other key partners (including local authorities, Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, Ministry of Defence, Forestry Commission, and The Crown Estate), you will be engaging directly with the public to raise awareness amongst visitors of the importance and sensitivity of this internationally important heathland site.