Seasonal Warden, Strategic Access Management & Monitoring (SAMM) Project, Thames Basin Heaths S[...]

Team: Thames Solent Area Team
Sub team: SAMM Team
Location: Heather Farm, Horsell, near Woking, GU21 4XY
Role line manager and contact details: Victoria Huth: Victoria.huth@naturalengland.org.uk 07919213950
Closing date: 23:55 on Wednesday 1 January 2025

Description of role:

This is a Short-Term Appointment (STA) from 17 February 2025 until 19 September 2025.

Location of the role: You must be able to travel to the TBH SPA on a daily basis. The role requires some weekend/early morning and evening work. The TBH SPA and local partners fall within parts of Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey.

A current, full driving license and reliable access to a vehicle is essential for this role.

As a seasonal warden, you will be working on the SPA often in a variety of weathers. There will also be an element of office work required. Although the work will involve regular liaison with the SAMM wardening team, SPA staff, and other land management staff, there will be a significant element of lone working.

It should be noted that as the role involves engaging directly with the public, the work may include potentially confrontational situations. However, the safety and wellbeing of its staff is of paramount importance to Natural England, which is committed to ensuring its staff undertake their roles in a healthy and safe working environment.

To find out more about the project visit:

Special Protection Area - Thames Basin Heaths
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The Team:

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.

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 landowners 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.

Key tasks / principal accountabilities:

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 report 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 the system.
• Other activities as required.

Skills and knowledge:

Essential:

• A relevant qualification or experience in education or countryside/animal management, nature conservation, environmental science, on-the-ground wardening service or a related discipline.
• Knowledge of the lowland heathland habitat and the development and recreational pressures and issues affecting it.
• Experience of, and confidence in engaging with the public, particularly where this experience has been gained from having worked outdoors in a nature conservation/countryside access-related role.
• Knowledge of Natural England’s purpose and how this work will contribute to its aims and objectives.
• Good written and verbal skills to enable effective communication with a range of internal and external partners.
• Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, Outlook & other technology as required.

Desirable:

• Experience of, and confidence in engaging with children in an educational setting.
• Experience of, and confidence in engaging with dogs and dog walkers.
• Knowledge of countryside access/rights of way, and nature conservation issues.

How to apply:

If you are interested in this opportunity, please go to this website to download an application form: Seasonal vacancies for 2025 - Thames Basin Heaths.

It is Natural England’s policy to accommodate both full-time and other flexible working patterns.