June 2025 update: Kate Tobin
Getting started in an environmental career can be daunting. It will almost always require you to show you have experience first, and this is usually acquired through volunteering. This can be difficult for all ages – for older people because they may have financial or caring responsibilities that don’t leave time spare to volunteer, and for younger people because most volunteering requires you to be over 18 or to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
We are lucky in the Sid Valley to have a wide range of active volunteer groups and very committed members of the community, who welcome new volunteers.
This page lists volunteering opportunities in the valley for wildlife-related work, including work experience, training and apprenticeships. In most cases, younger people will need to accompanied. Thanks to all who have provided the details for this summary.
At a glance, through the week:
| Day | Group and Location | Frequency |
| Monday | SVA Knapp SVA Margaret’s Meadow (Byes) Sidmouth Parish Paths group | Fortnightly Weekly Weekly (evenings, Apr-Oct) |
| Tuesday | EDDC Seaton Wetlands Himalayan Balsam bashers Sidmouth in Bloom | Weekly Weekly (May-Sept) Weekly (May-Sept) |
| Wednesday | Donkey Sanctuary farm work | Occasional (winter) |
| Thursday | EDDC East Devon Nature Reserves Donkey Sanctuary wildlife volunteers Friends of Glen Goyle Sidmouth in Bloom | Weekly Weekly Weekly Weekly (May-Sept) |
| Friday | National Trust East Devon team Donkey Sanctuary summer survey sessions Friends of the Knowle | Weekly Occasional Fortnightly |
| Saturday | Friends of the Byes | Weekly |
| Sunday | Sidmouth Community Food Forest | Monthly |
Volunteering for wildlife in and around Sidmouth
Sid Vale Association
Volunteer sessions looking after local nature reserves on a Monday morning at the Knapp every other week and at Margarets Meadow on the Byes every week. Managing woods, meadows, pond, orchard. Around 8-15 people in each group.
Info@sidvaleassociation.org.uk
Sidmouth Arboretum
Ad hoc volunteer sessions to plant and look after trees around the Sid Valley. Weekdays and weekends.
Facebook page: Sidmouth Arboretum
https://sidmoutharboretum.org.uk
Friends of the Byes
A community-run group that works on the EDDC and National Trust owned land on the Byes, carrying out general conservation and gardening work.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTheByes
Contact: FOTBSidmouth@gmail.com
Sid Valley Biodiversity Group
A small group of enthusiasts with a range of different surveys and monitoring going on at any one time. Brings together people across many other groups with an interest in biodiversity. Run a biodiversity festival in June.
Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/3974476445967219
https://sidvalleybiodiversity.org
River Sid Catchment Group
This group aims to reinvigorate nature within the catchment with an emphasis on the ecosystems that depend on clean healthy water. Current significant projects include nature-based solutions to slow water runoff and improve fish habitat and migration in the river system. Volunteering opportunities include monthly water monitoring of the river and tributaries and monthly riverfly monitoring of small river invertebrates, for example mayfly and freshwater shrimp. Results feed into the Westcountry Rivers Trust’s database. River Watcher is a simple toolkit to encourage engagement with the river in a location of your choice and in a manner that interests you most.
Details of all these opportunities are detailed on our website riversid.org/volunteers
Sidmouth Community Food Forest: A community-run group formed through SVBG that looks after an enclosed area on the Byes at Sidford, where they are combining planting for nature with the production of food. They run volunteer days on the last Sunday of each month, which are well attended, including by families. Opportunities to complete volunteering and skills components of Duke of Edinburgh Award during weekends, with an accompanying adult. There is also a new orchard adjacent, planted in collaboration with Sidmouth Arboretum.
Contact: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/179705538104285/
Lower Knapp Pond Reserve
Volunteer group focussed on Lower Knapp Pond Reserve just off Station Road. Occasional volunteer tasks include pond maintenance, wildflower meadow and hedging work.
Contact: Simon Papworth sipapworth@hotmail.com
Himalayan Balsam Bashers
If left unchecked Himalayan Balsam can quickly dominate the valley’s plant life. In Sidmouth a team of volunteers have been keeping on top of the problem by meeting each Tuesday morning from early May to mid-September and carefully targeting a section of the river to remove the plant before it sets seed.
Contact: Roger and Carol Woolley: roger.carolwoolley@talktalk.net
Sidmouth Parish Paths Partnership
A group of volunteers coordinated by a committee that is formed by Sidmouth Town Council in partnership with Devon County Council with a coordinator provided by the Sid Vale Association. The volunteers help maintain the public rights of way (footpaths & bridleways) within the boundaries of the parish. They meet on Monday evenings April – Oct plus occasional Sunday’s all year round.
Sidmouth in Bloom
Volunteers improve grey spaces, plant borders in town to encourage insects and wildlife, promote street cleanliness and pride of place. Planting is done with biodiversity in mind, as well as ‘seaside planting’ for impact in parks. Schools are encouraged to participate with a children’s themed display each year at Blackmore. Horticultural knowledge and methods are taught, including seeding and the art of 3-D planting. Anyone of any age or ability can join the group. Sidmouth in Bloom represents the town for the STC in the RHS “In Bloom” competition, & includes other voluntary groups as part of the town entry.
Day: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9.30 – 12.30pm weekly. During May extra days as necessary for completing Summer displays. Various locations across Sidmouth.
Contact: Lynette Talbot. info@sidmouthinbloom.org
Friends of Glen Goyle
This group has taken on what had been a neglected stream valley in the heart of Sidmouth with its own particular microclimate. They manage it to enhance its ornamental planting whilst also encouraging wildlife and improving biodiversity. They meet every Thursday morning.
Friends of The Knowle
Recently set up to support the Town Council to restore this site to its former glory with formal gardens and a wild area to enhance biodiversity. They meet on the 2nd & 4th Friday mornings each month.
Donkey Sanctuary
Day-long volunteer sessions every week at Slade Farm, Salcombe Regis and their other local farms. Range of conservation work. Contact their Wildlife and Conservation Manager: 01395 573162
volunteer@thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk
Aylesbeare Reserve – RSPB
Nature reserve management on Aylesbeare, Woodbury, Fire Beacon. Several volunteer groups with a range of ages carrying out practical management of heathlands and woodlands. Sometimes offer chainsaw training to committed volunteers.
Clinton Devon Estates
A limited number of work placement opportunities are offered at Clinton Devon Estates each year to students in Year 10, 12 and beyond. A blog is available online giving an idea of what students might do during a week’s work experience with a rural estates working across all areas of land management and conservation.
Email Jayne.savage@clintondevon.com with details of your interests and what you hope to get from your work experience. Main opportunities to get involved with volunteering will be alongside conservation staff from the Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust (see below).
Heaths to Sea: A Landscape Recovery project led by Clinton Devon Estates to connect the heaths to the new estuarine reserve at Budleigh, through positive management for conservation across the whole landscape. May be some volunteering opportunities, especially for graduates. Contact Beth Humphrey, Heaths to Sea Project Support Officer Beth.Humphrey@clintondevon.com
Pebblebed Heaths National Nature Reserve
Working on heathland and wetland reserves with the Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust, part of Clinton Devon Estates
Work experience arranged through Clinton Devon Estates (see above)
Practical volunteering opportunities taking place weekly on the Pebblebed Heaths and Otter Estuary. Tasks and locations change for each session and include heathland management, habitat creation Himalayan balsam management on the tributaries of the Otter during the summer months. Support with visitor management, events and species monitoring also possible on the heaths or the new wetland reserve and training given as appropriate.
Opportunities to complete volunteering and skills components of Duke of Edinburgh Award during weekends/vacations and through Youth Rangers. Action for Nature Days offering drop-in activities for all agesduring evenings, weekends and vacations.
To get involved contact Kate Ponting, Community Engagement and Countryside Learning kate.ponting@clintondevon.com
And if you are interested in the Pebblebed Youth Ranger programme for 13-17 year olds, contact Savannah Brownlow, Engagement Ranger savannah.brownlow@clintondevon.com
East Devon Nature Reserves
East Devon Conservation Volunteers work at different reserves every Thursday, including Delderfield meadow and Fire Beacon Hill in Sidmouth. There is also a regular Tuesday team at Seaton Wetlands. Wild East Devon also run specialist volunteer teams, for events and other specific interests.
Contact: wild@eastdevon.gov.uk
National Trust Branscombe Estate
The National Trust East Devon Countryside team are based at Branscombe and have a conservation team of volunteers working on their land.
Ring them on 01297 680507
East Devon National Landscape
The East Devon National Landscape (previously AONB) team have offices based in Sidmouth. They run a range of projects based around wildlife, history, culture and landscape with various opportunities for volunteering. See their website for latest projects East Devon National Landscape.
Contact: info@eastdevon-nl.org.uk
Devon Wildlife Trust
The closest regular practical volunteer group to Sidmouth is the DWT group at Bystock Pools, which is sometimes over-subscribed, but always worth contacting: Contact: Edric Hopkinson 01647 253 800 ehopkinson@devonwildlifetrust.org
DWT also run numerous projects which often provide interesting volunteering opportunities. Three current projects near Sidmouth are:
Devon Beaver Project – a unique project stemming from work on the wild beaver population living on the River Otter.
Saving Devon’s Treescapes – take part in planting sessions or recording ancient and veteran trees.
Working Wetlands/Upstream Thinking – farm advice in certain focussed catchments, now including the Otter. Volunteers might be able to join a visit or event for experience.
Axewoods Woodfuel Cooperative
A not-for-profit volunteer organisation that provides free woodland management to local farmers, charities, landowners and organisations. They initiated and run the East Devon Log Bank, providing dry, seasoned logs free to local people in fuel poverty, on referral from Social Services or local charities. Most of the volunteers pay the cooperative membership fee which allows them substantial amounts of good quality dried logs from a local source. Members carry out a range of practical work such as felling, cross-cutting and extraction. The group also takes on a wider work such as thinning, coppicing and hedgelaying. Axewoods is active at sites across East Devon, including the Sid Vale/
Contact via Axewoods website: https://www.axewoods.org.uk/contact/
Wildwood Trust, Escot
Although beyond the Sid Valley, the Wildwood Trust is worth including here, since it provides a rare voluntary opportunity to work with wild animals directly and to learn more about species reintroduction projects.
Contact: https://wildwoodtrust.org/job-vacancies/volunteering-opportunities/
Sidmouth Science Festival
The festival planning group offers flexible, year-round volunteer opportunities in programme planning, designing and delivering events during the festival, assisting with social media and providing general voluntary support. Environmental and nature conservation aspects of the festival include a Biodiversity Day, activities on Super Science Saturday and specific talks and events.
www.sidmouthsciencefestival.org
info@sidmouthsciencefestival.org
Duke of Edinburgh
Sidmouth Community College and Sidmouth Scouts both offer Duke of Edinburgh programmes.
Residential Placement
RSPB Aylesbeare: 3 – 12 month placement living on the reserve and working full time with the team. Will provide significant training, qualification and experience. For more information, see their webpage.
aylesbeare.common@rspb.org.uk
Apprenticeship
Donkey Sanctuary
Apprentice Ecology and Conservation Officer – current details unconfirmed but may be worth contacting them.
Salaried work
The following local organisations sometimes have temporary seasonal or project based wildlife-related jobs:
Devon Wildlife Trust, East Devon District Council (Wild East Devon), National Trust (East Devon team), RSPB Aylesbeare
Check the vacancy pages on each of their websites to see what is available at any given time.
Of course there are also lots of people living in Sidmouth and working from home in wildlife-related work for other national and regional organisations, so there are lots more options to explore if you are happy working from home.
For all ecological and environmental jobs, and if you are interested in working further afield, then two good websites to keep an eye on are:
Countryside Jobs Service
Environment Job
Both provide free email alerts if you sign up to them.
June 2025 update: Kate Tobin
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