Volunteer Awards

John’s contribution to the aims of the Somerset Wildlife Trust span over 10 years of dedicating a huge amount of time effort to practical volunteering and surveying efforts across Somerset.

Since joining the West Mendip Conservation Volunteers, he has been out clearing scrub, bashing bracken and installing fences on the Mendip reserves on a regular basis, helping make the Mendip Reserves a more resilient haven for wildlife.

Whenever there is a practical volunteer group, you are very likely to see John grafting away. Not content with this John has set up another group, The West Mendip Wanderers, which will introduce more volunteers to SWT and under John's leadership we know will be a huge success.

Furthermore, John has been integral to RAGS efforts to restore the many dewponds on Mendip helping the protected great crested newts as well as many other species which rely on these unique habitats. This has been through leading the many pond digging days as well as taking on grant applications to fund the restorations.

Simon's work as our Planning for Nature Volunteer supports our goal of 'creating a nature recovery network in Somerset, through delivering practical solutions for natures recovery to combat the ecological crisis and achieve climate resilience'.

The service Simon provides, based on the experienced he has gained and with quite minimal input from staff, he has quietly and purposefully monitored the applications for planning in Somerset. He has responded to hundreds of cases in order to champion space for nature, as well as highlighting the larger or exceptional applications that need to be dealt with by the planning leads he has worked with over the years.

Almost certainly all of the barn conversions, home office extensions and roof space utilisation projects would have missed getting comment in favour for wildlife without Simon's dedication and diligence to monitoring the planning portals in Somerset. We are highly appreciative of his efforts and professionalism.

For the last 6 years, Vanessa has been our lead Sea Watch volunteer.

As well as co-ordinating monthly group surveys along the coast and quarterly synchronised Sea Watches, she produces annual reports and regular newsletters. On top of this, Vanessa runs annual training days and has also set up a separate photo ID project with some core volunteers on porpoises in Porlock Bay. She is currently working with Mark, our Wilder Coasts Project Manager to set up a SWT tailored online recording sheet linked to QR codes along the coast path and is also setting up a Cetacean Strandings WhatsApp group.

All the work she has done as massively increased our awareness and data on sea mammals in Somerset.

The Youth Forum launched in March 2024 and although it has 25 members, without the enthusiasm and dedication of six core members who have taken on specific roles, responsibilities and specialisms we would not have achieved anywhere near as much.

Emma Watson, Rosie Saxon, Rachel Hiscox, Heidi Dalgarno, Maya Neville, Rosie Saxon have all shown great commitment to wildlife conservation in Somerset, to nature inclusion and the work of SWT. 

This group are inspiring, engaging, offer the Trust a huge amount in terms of diversity of skill, knowledge, wisdom, life experiences and we are so lucky to have such dedicated and supportive volunteers involved in helping us to meet our strategic goals and do incredible things for people and the wider natural world in Somerset.