Details
Location: Northern Ireland
Salary: This position is entirely voluntary and is therefore unpaid.
Do you enjoy supporting people and would you like to make a positive impact for nature? We are looking for organised people with excellent communication skills to champion and coordinate our volunteer team. Volunteers are part of the RSPB foundation and are key to all we do at our reserves and in our projects, so we want to make sure we give them the best experience possible – you will play an important role in helping us do this!
Why we need you
Seed-eating farmland birds have experienced significant declines in Northern Ireland. For example, it is estimated that just 5,000 pairs of yellowhammer remain. This represents an alarming decline for a species which had a population of 32,000+ pairs as recently as 1991.
In Northern Ireland, these seed-eating species are largely dependent on the presence of seed and cereal fields, making the large arable regions of County Down a stronghold. This is why RSPB has a long and established history of working with farmers in County Down as a focus of our conservation efforts. Our team of dedicated volunteer surveyors complete surveys on farmland across County Down, recording what bird species are present and monitoring the number of priority species breeding on the farm. These surveys help to generate tailored advice to farmers and landowners on how to enhance, create, and manage suitable habitats for wildlife on their farms.
What you will be doing
Volunteer Coordinators undertake a wide range of tasks, including:
1. Helping manage and develop the team of volunteers surveying farmland bird species in County Down.
2. Dealing with queries from potential new volunteers who get in touch.
3. Being the first point of contact for our existing volunteers and answering general queries.
4. Leading on advertising new volunteer roles (on the RSPB and external websites, in the local community).
5. Setting up interviews with potential volunteers and assisting with induction administration.
6. Performing administrative tasks such as helping record volunteer hours, organising and distributing survey packs with the team, processing expenses claims, and maintaining a survey schedule to keep volunteers on track for completing surveys.
7. Championing the RSPB's annual volunteer engagement survey.
8. Supporting the project manager with volunteer administration, recruitment, and training as necessary.
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