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Children helping with ground clearance at Westhay Nature Reserve

Children helping with ground clearance at Westhay Nature Reserve - Paul Harris/2020VISION

Volunteer awards

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Celebrating our volunteers

We depend on the support of our volunteers and aim to make volunteering at Somerset Wildlife Trust a welcoming and rewarding experience, recognising their efforts throughout the year. Our pin badge scheme recognises the long-term commitment of individual volunteers.  

The volunteer awards recognise and celebrate the work of volunteers across the county who give their time and skills to create a wilder Somerset. The volunteer awards are presented at our AGM.

 

Volunteers Awards

Nominations will open on Friday 1st September for our 2023 awards. Please ensure you submit your nomination using the webform below by the Monday 30th October. The Nominations are reviewed by a panel of staff and trustees, and the awards are presented at the AGM. 

Up to three awards will be awarded.

Find out more about the awards and last year’s winners below.

Who can you nominate?

You can nominate an individual or a group for an award. The nominee/s must have made an outstanding contribution to a wilder Somerset and volunteered with or in association with Somerset Wildlife Trust within the last 2 years.

This year we have removed the categories to make nominating for an award more flexible, but you are still welcome to nominate a long-standing volunteer (volunteering with or in association with SWT for at least 10 years) or a young volunteer (under the age of 25). 

Criteria

The nominations should reflect how the nominees have contributed to one or more of our aims to create a wilder Somerset.

Creating a nature recovery network in Somerset: Delivering practical solutions for natures recovery to combat the ecological crisis and achieve climate resilience.

Building a movement for natures recovery: Engaging and inspiring others to learn about, love and take action for nature.

Telling Somerset story: Recording, monitoring and surveying wildlife to understand and inform.

Rules

  • Any individual who volunteers for or in association* with Somerset Wildlife Trust can be nominated.
  • Groups may be part of or associated* with Somerset Wildlife Trust. The primarily focus of the work for which they are being nominated must be within Somerset. “Group” may refer to a formally constituted group or an informal group/couple if what they have achieved has been a joint effort and where it would not be appropriate to single out any individual.
  • Any supporters, staff and volunteers can submit one or more nominations.
  • Volunteers may only receive an award for the same role once in any five-year period.
  • Trustees cannot nominate another Trustee.
  • Volunteers may receive additional awards for different volunteer roles within SWT.
  • Awardees will be chosen by a panel of staff and trustees.

*”associated” refers to both joint projects and work taking place on SWT reserves (for example surveys by the specialist groups)

Our volunteers are vitally important to us, without them we would cease to exist as an organisation. At our volunteer awards, we celebrate their achievements and recognise their dedicated work to support Somerset Wildlife Trust’s aims of creating a Wilder Future for all.

Dave Cottle

Dave has been a volunteer for SWT for coming up to 50 years, most notably as the Volunteer Warden for Kings Castle Woods for 35 years since we purchased it in 1987. He has a way of holding people's attention and empowering them, he's supportive and knowledgeable, and this has proved a great success in inspiring and instilling a passion for wildlife in many.

Dave retired from his warden posts at the end of last year, and even then inspired our new warden at Kings Castle Wood to do the role. Whilst his presence is missed, we have no doubt that he has had an impact on both this lovely pocket of woodland, Somerset and further afield with all of the people who's paths he crossed by telling Somerset's story and building a movement for nature.

Kiff Hancock

Kiff puts in a huge amount of work monitoring the hay meadows at Chancellor's Farm every year, and provides invaluable reports for keeping track of the progress of the restoration fields at Yoxter Rangers. He has also had a significant impact on the delivery of Goal 3 of our strategy at our reserves on the Somerset Levels & Moors, aiding in the installation of gauge boards and dipwells and continuing to monitor these and analyse the data to produce reports. Having joined ROAM and the Somerset Botany Group, Kiff has contributed to a much wider programme of surveys across both SWT and partner reserves.

With his comprehensive knowledge of so many of our reserves, his contributions over many years are essential to our ongoing work to maintain and strengthen our reserves crucial part within the nature recovery network.

Naomi Palk

Long-term volunteer Naomi has done incredible things for nature in Somerset. Very sadly, she passed away on Friday 11th August following a short illness. After participating on the Somerset Nature Connections Project, she went on to volunteer and co-facilitate sessions. Naomi supported multiple elements of the project, for example weekly wellbeing sessions on both the Blackdown and Quantock Hills, and regular community sessions.

She was committed and totally reliable, never missing a single session. She was incredibly generous and caring towards everyone she came into contact with, offering participants and staff support, friendship and unending kindness. She was deeply connected to nature and fiercely passionate about about protecting Somerset's wildlife and wild places. She shared this love of nature enthusiastically engaging and inspiring hundreds of people to learn about, love and take action for nature.

Pin badge scheme

Kindly funded by the Battens Charitable Trust, our pin badge scheme recognises the long term commitment of individual volunteers working for wildlife across Somerset. 

Pin badges are awarded at 5, 10 and 15 years of volunteering. We also have a special "thank you" Bittern badge for volunteers and supporters. The species illustrated on a our badges were chosen to represent some of the iconic wildlife and habitats of Somerset. 

large blue butterfly

Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION

5 Year Volunteering

Large blue butterfly

Formerly extinct in the UK the large blue butterfly Maculinea arion was reintroduced to the Polden Hills in 2000. The Wildlife Trusts are one of a number of partners involved in ensuring proper management of grassland sites and monitoring of populations in their Somerset stronghold. Find out more about the large blue and the management of Green Down nature reserve.  

Ubley Warren Nature Reserve

Ubley Warren Nature Reserve - Matt Sweeting

10 Years Volunteering

Cheddar pink

The cheddar pink Dianthus gratianopolitanus is Somerset's county flower. It has a very restricted range, growing on dry, sunny limestone rocks in the Mendips - in particular Cheddar Gorge. Find out more about the Mendip Hills.

Eel

Eel - Jack Perks

15 Year Volunteering

European eel

Once abundant in wetland of the Somerset Levels and Moors, the European eel Anguilla anguilla is now a critically endangered species. These freshwater fish play a critical role in our wetland ecosystem, providing food for wetland birds and mammals. They have a complicated life cycle and one of the longest migration journeys on the planet. Find out more about our work for eels in Somerset. 

Get in touch

Find out more about volunteering by emailing volunteering@somersetwildlife.org or calling 01823 652 400 

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