Volunteers Week 2025: Hear from Andy!
Where do I begin? Is it with the laughs, memories, or amazing learning opportunities that have arisen? Whether it’s been path maintenance, gorse clearance, or coppicing, a recurring theme is that it has always been fun. That is brought on by the staff and fellow volunteers who create a great atmosphere on the volunteer days and are always in good spirits. From the very start, everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly, which for a newcomer like myself, made me feel right at home!
As a student studying conservation, volunteering here has given great insight into how habitats are managed for the benefit of wildlife, along with the skills of how to do so from the various tasks I have partaken in. This has been great for me as it has augmented all the in class learning by seeing and providing practical experience. The main thing I have realised I am still to learn however, is to be trusted using tools. To any future volunteers I would recommend using the tools in the way shown in the safety talk, rather than using novel approaches that only work half the time. I believe I may hold an unofficial record for breaking them, so have evidence to back up that advice. It is a record I do not take pride in, although, it is an achievement, nevertheless.
A standout memory of my time volunteering was the 6am start for a breeding bird survey. As an avid birder this was an incredible experience, walking up the Saltcot Loaning with the mid-spring dawn chorus surrounding from the dense hedgerows at either side of the path. Not a moment of quiet, yet still feelings of tranquillity with the noise of natural sounds. It was amazing to see what the reserve is like without people, only wildlife. It showed me how much nature can flourish when left the space to thrive. That is only one memory from the array of special ones which have been created from volunteering at WWT Caerlaverock.
I have only been a volunteer at WWT Caerlaverock for 8 months, however, there are volunteers who have been there for years, or even ended up with a job there! That can be attributed to the amazing site and the wonderful people that are involved. Due to moving out of Dumfries, I am no longer a volunteer but would recommend it to anyone considering. You will have fun and meet some great new people. I shall return in the future for volunteer days and all the enjoyment that comes with it. Part of that is that I am still waiting to rap battle the project officer…
Words by Andrew Matrundola
Picture by Annabelle Gurney
