Trainee positions at Wildwood

 
www.wildwoodtrust.org

1-year trainee postitions at Wildwood

HLF Skills for the Future Trainee positions available at Wildwood

Wildwood is taking part in The Skills for the Future programme,  a Heritage Lottery Fund supported scheme to provide work based training opportunities for people wanting to work in the heritage sector.

Wildwood has positions available for four Trainee Officers to work directly with our natural heritage conservation, education, maintenance and keeper teams and learn skills to prepare them for a career working to protect and promote our natural heritage and environment.

These roles will suit fit, practical people who are able to work outdoors during all weathers to support the continued growth and development of Wildwood's work. This includes our educational work with children and disadvantaged social groups wishing to learn about our natural heritage and its future conservation, and our conservation work with British species and Wildwood's ancient woodland.

• The training period is advertised as 37 hrs a week, for 51 weeks only.
  
• Trainees will receive a training bursary of £10,000, paid in monthly instalments.
  
• Please note that accommodation and travel costs are not included.

To apply
Please read the download the relevant job pack (see details below) and return to us by post or email to jess@wildwoodtrust.org

The closing date for all applications is 8th September 2013

Conservation trainee

Key tasks:

• Learn how to care for our collection of British native endangered animals including animal diet, handling and care, and practical skills for enclosure enrichment,
• Learn to manage animal enclosures for conservation captive breeding programmes for a range of UK species, ensuring the animal's welfare comes first,
• Learn to help educate the public through talks and demonstrations about our animals
• Learn to help with our conservation projects with endangered species
• Learn how to enter data collected on animal sightings and field surveys, and how to complete the animal management records and work diaries.

Desired skills/qualifications:

• An academic qualification such as a BSc in Wildlife Conservation
• Experience of working with animals in a conservation/zoo setting
• Knowledge of British wildlife or environmental conservation
• Knowledge of basic tool use
  

Click here to visit our website & download the Conservation Trainee job pack

Education Trainee

Key tasks:

• Learn how we deliver a core education service for schools and disadvantaged groups visiting Wildwood, including an introduction to teaching UK conservation and biodiversity to a wide range of people with different abilities and requirements, developing strong communication skills and confidence in working with school groups and the public
• Gain a strong working knowledge of British wildlife past and present, causes of UK species extinctions and declines and conservation
• Become familiar with a range of National curriculum led natural science topics, including animal adaptation and field signs, coppice woodland habitat, ecological sampling techniques, plant and invertebrate identification

Desired skills/qualifications:

• A science-based academic qualification such as a biology degree
• Experience of teaching/mentoring
• Knowledge of British wildlife or environmental conservation
• Awareness of appropriate software packages, including PowerPoint and Word

Click here to visit our website & download the Education Trainee job pack

Maintenance (ranger) Trainee

Key tasks:

• Learn how to keep the Wildwood grounds and facilities in excellent working order, ensuring the minimum of disruption to visitors and staff.
• Learn how to construct new animal enclosures and help our keeper team create suitable habitats for a range of UK species, ensuring the animal's welfare comes first
• Learn how to help manage an ancient woodland habitat including managing coppice woodland  sustainably whilst protecting woodland biodiversity
• You will be required to support your line manager to ensure that you follow Wildwood's Health and Safety arrangements.
  

Desired skills/qualifications:

• Experience of construction work
• Knowledge of British wildlife or environmental conservation
• Knowledge of basic tool use

 Click here to visit our website & download the Maintenance Trainee job pack

Keeper Trainee

Key tasks:

• Learn how to care for our collection of British native & once native wildlife, including caring for and managing a range of UK species, ensuring the animal's welfare comes first, recognition of tracks and signs, animal diet, handling and care, and practical skills for enclosure enrichment.
• Learn to help educate the public through talks and demonstrations about our animals, including developing strong communication skills and confidence in working with groups and the public.
• Learn how to complete the animal management records and work diaries.
  

Desired skills/qualifications:

• Experience of working with animals
• Knowledge of British wildlife and environmental conservation
• Knowledge of basic tool use

Click here to visit our website & download the Keeper Trainee job pack

 

Wildwood Trust
Tel: 01227 712 111
www.wildwoodtrust.org

Wildwood offers final Trainee positions

Final year of Heritage Skills Trainee positions at The Wildwood Trust

 

Wildwood is now inviting new applications for our final year of the Skills for the Future training programme. After three hugely successful years which have seen trainees go on to start careers in wildlife, zoos and conservation, we are ready to recruit our final batch of trainees to learn wildlife and conservation skills.

 

The 4-year project is funded by a £150,000 grant by the Heritage Lottery fund under their Skills for the Future programme. The grant is funding the training of four trainees per year, over a period of four years, with each trainee receiving a training bursary of £10,000 for the year they train with us.

 

The scheme is great for zoos, wildlife trusts and conservation organisations such as The Wildwood Trust which require a wide range of skills from staff, from providing public education workshops to managing woodland and conservation areas and supporting endangered species captive breeding programmes. These skills are hard to obtain without on-the-job training, so the Skills for the Future programme has been developed to offer specialised training places. After this final year, Wildwood will have provided training for three trainee rangers, three trainee keepers, three conservation trainees, and three trainee education officers.

 

The project will allow Wildwood to train new people in wildlife and conservation skills which will provide a sustainable, representative workforce to protect the UK's native animals and habitats from further decline. On completion of their training the trainees will be able to take their skills on to further education or into employment.

 

Ranger trainees will learn coppicing and coppice management, woodland management, dead hedging, arboriculture, endangered species enclosure design and construction.

Conservation trainees will learn about conservation initiatives including endangered species release programmes, conservation grazing management, handling small animals and engaging the public in species recognition.

Keeper Trainees will learn endangered species enclosure design, animal enrichment, food preparation, diet and weight analysis, and animal husbandry.

Conservation Education trainees will learn how to develop and deliver workshops targeted at visiting schools and groups, and will develop skills including preparing educational resources, setting and monitoring traps, species recognition, and how to handle small animals for workshops.

 

The posts are for one year only and are aimed at those interested in following a career in conservation. The successful candidates will be expected to complete a portfolio of evidence of the skills they have learned. The training will provide the groundwork and experience required for those considering either further academic training (e.g. a conservation degree, or diploma) or developing their career by joining a zoo, wildlife trust or other conservation organisation.

 

Further details about the training positions and how to apply can be found at www.wildwoodtrust.org The deadline for applications is the 8th September 2013

 

********* END***************

Images attached - for more images please email: fiona@wildwoodtrust.org

 

Skills for the Future

The Heritage Lottery Funds' (HLF) Skills for the Future programme offers work-based training in a wide range of skills that are needed to look after buildings, landscapes, habitats, species, and museum and archive collections, as well as equipping people to lead education and outreach programmes, manage volunteers and use new technology. Its focus is on vocational learning, helping meet the skills gaps identified by heritage bodies, and on encouraging potential trainees from all walks of life. Trainees will learn how to engage families, schools and communities with their heritage, bringing heritage sites and collections alive for the next generation.

Aims
The aims of Skills for the Future are to:

§  fund high quality work based training opportunities to equip people with the skills to pursue a career in heritage;

§  enhance the capacity of the heritage sector to deliver sustainable training and share good practice; and

§  demonstrate the value of heritage skills to modern life.

Outcomes
To receive a grant a project must deliver all of the following four outcomes:

§  increase the range and quality of work-based training to develop skills in the heritage sector;

§  meet identified skills gaps or shortages in the heritage sector;

§  increase the capacity of the sector to deliver training and share good practice; and

§  increase the diversity of the heritage workforce.

 

 

Fiona Paterson
Marketing & Press officer
Wildwood Trust

e-mail: fiona@wildwoodtrust.org
Tel: 01227 712111
www.wildwoodtrust.org

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Wildwood Trust
Herne Common
Herne Bay
Kent
CT6 7LQ

Registered Charity No 1093702

Wildwood Trust is Kent's unique 'Woodland Discovery Park', a visitor attraction with a difference.

Wildwood is not only the best place to bring the family for a day out, but it is also a bold and innovative new charity, backed by the UK's leading wildlife conservationists. As a new charity Wildwood needs everyone's support in its mission to save our native and once native wildlife from extinction.

Wildwood Trust's vision is to bring back our true 'wildwood', a unique new way of restoring Britain's land to its natural state. This involves releasing large wild herbivores and developing conservation grazing systems to restore natural ecological processes to help Britain team with wildlife again.

The Wildwood 'Woodland Discovery Park' is an ideal day out for all the family where you can come 'nose to nose' with British Wildlife. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here.

Set in a sublime 38 acres of Ancient Woodland, Wildwood offers visitors a truly unique experience. Come Nose to Nose with our secretive badgers, experience what it is like to be hunted by a real live pack of wolves, watch a charging wild boar or track down a beaver in his lodge.

Wildwood Trust runs a highly successful programme of Conservation Projects - we are the UK's leading experts in rescuing and re-establishing colonies of Britain's most threatened mammal, the water vole. Wildwood Trust has pioneered the use of ancient wild horses to restore nature reserve. Wildwood Trust has been at the forefront of efforts to re-establish the European Beaver back in Britain where they belong. European Beaver have been proven to help manage water ways to bring back a huge range of plants, insects and animals.

 

See sleepy dormice and secretive hedgehogs at Wildwood

 

Wildwood Nocturnal House now open!

* No, these pictures were not taken inside the Nocturnal House, as it's always night-time inside the building during the day. Take a look next time you're at the park to see for yourself!

Wildwood is celebrating the long awaited opening of its new Nocturnal House; a specially designed centre that will allow visitors to see animals that would usually be sound asleep during opening hours.

The building, Funded by Biffa Award, is part of a larger project to expand Wildwood's work to conserve the hazel dormouse and offers visitors a rare opportunity to observe hazel dormice and other nocturnal small mammals for the first time, and to increase awareness of the conservation threats faced by these animals and how we can address them.

Visitors will be able to see rare and endangered small mammals that are otherwise very difficult to see during daylight hours such as hazel dormice, hedgehogs, wood mice and edible dormice.

The Nocturnal House is Wildwood's most ambitious project yet and the complex design of the building combined with the needs of the animals meant that the project had its fair share of setbacks. The building itself was completed at the end of 2012 but thanks to our unusually cold spring, it had to wait for its inhabitants to wake up from an extended hibernation period. Then the animals needed a period of adjustment in order to get used to being awake during the daytime as building features a unique lighting system that simulates daylight overnight and then fades to darkness during the days, but finally the building and animals are ready for visitors to the park.

Wildwood's CEO Peter Smith said; "We are thrilled with the new Nocturnal House, and the team have persevered to get this complicated project up and running.  It's great for Wildwood, as although most people have heard of dormice, few people will ever see one. Now we can educate people about these beautiful creatures and why it is so vital that we save them from extinction"

Sally Barnes, of Wildwood's Keeper team, who has been looking after the Nocturnal House said "The building is great, with spacious natural enclosures and the lighting system is working extremely well, we have already had many delighted customers who have seen their first ever dormouse, which is really exciting."

The Biffa Award grant also included funded the building of new dormouse breeding enclosures to expand Wildwood's capacity for breeding hazel dormice for reintroduction programmes. Over the course of the project 32 hazel dormice have been bred at the park, some of which will remain at Wildwood to boost the Trust's captive breeding population at Wildwood, with the others being reintroduced to areas of the UK where they have become extinct in releases facilitated by the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species.

The nocturnal house will also be used during Wildwood's conservation training courses, such as dormouse ecology and conservation, to give people the opportunity to observe these creatures as they would be in the wild, and improve their skills in species identification.

Visitors can see the new Nocturnal House opposite the Rat Barn on their next visit to the park.

Viewing tips for the Nocturnal House:

• Walk in slowly - it's dark inside!
• Let your eyes adjust for a few minutes - you will be able to see better.
• No loud noises or flash photography please - these are shy, night-time animals that can be easily scared.

 

The Wildwood Team
Wildwood Trust
Herne Bay
Kent
CT6 7LQ

Tel: 01227 712 111
www.wildwoodtrust.org

Sleepy dormice and secretive hedgehogs on display at Wildwood.

Wildwood is celebrating the long awaited opening of its new Nocturnal House; a specially designed centre that will allow visitors to see animals that would usually be sound asleep during opening hours.

The building, Funded by Biffa Award, is part of a larger project to expand Wildwood's work to conserve the hazel dormouse and offers visitors a rare opportunity to observe hazel dormice and other nocturnal small mammals for the first time, and to increase awareness of the conservation threats faced by these animals and how we can address them.

Visitors will be able to see rare and endangered small mammals that are otherwise very difficult to see during daylight hours such as hazel dormice, hedgehogs, wood mice and edible dormice.

The Nocturnal House is Wildwood's most ambitious project yet and the complex design of the building combined with the needs of the animals meant that the project had its fair share of setbacks. The building itself was completed at the end of 2012 but thanks to our unusually cold spring, it had to wait for its inhabitants to wake up from an extended hibernation period. Then the animals needed a period of adjustment in order to get used to being awake during the daytime as building features a unique lighting system that simulates daylight overnight and then fades to darkness during the days, but finally the building and animals are ready for visitors to the park.

Wildwood's CEO Peter Smith said; "We are thrilled with the new Nocturnal House, and the team have persevered to get this complicated project up and running.  It's great for Wildwood, as although most people have heard of dormice, few people will ever see one. Now we can educate people about these beautiful creatures and why it is so vital that we save them from extinction"

Sally Barnes, of Wildwood's Keeper team, who has been looking after the Nocturnal House said "The building is great, with spacious natural enclosures and the lighting system is working extremely well, we have already had many delighted customers who have seen their first ever dormouse, which is really exciting."

The Biffa Award grant also included funded the building of new dormouse breeding enclosures to expand Wildwood's capacity for breeding hazel dormice for reintroduction programmes. Over the course of the project 32 hazel dormice have been bred at the park, some of which will remain at Wildwood to boost the Trust's captive breeding population at Wildwood, with the others being reintroduced to areas of the UK where they have become extinct in releases facilitated by the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species.

The nocturnal house will also be used during Wildwood's conservation training courses, such as dormouse ecology and conservation, to give people the opportunity to observe these creatures as they would be in the wild, and improve their skills in species identification.

Visitor can see the new Nocturnal House on their next visit to the park, Wildwood is open 7 days a week from 10am, find us on the A291 between Canterbury and Herne Bay.

***ENDS***

The Nocturnal house can be photographed or filmed by professional crews by prior arrangement.

 

The attached Photos shows a hazel dormouse, which is one of the species on display in the Nocuturnal House.

 

More about Wildwood

Opened in 1999 as a centre of excellence for the conservation of British wildlife and established as a registered charity in 2002, the Wildwood Trust is one of the South East's leading specialists in native species conservation and is a great family day out where you can see British Wildlife past and present.

At the heart of our work is our British wildlife park, which is home to over 200 native and once native animals including wolves, lynx, bison, deer, badgers, foxes, otters, owls and many more, set in 40 acres of stunning ancient woodland. At Wildwood, visitors of all ages can learn about the importance of our wildlife and woodlands and the efforts being made to protect them.

As a conservation charity dedicated to saving British wildlife, Wildwood strives to protect our native species through captive breeding and reintroduction projects and to educate and inspire future generations as to the importance of protecting our British wildlife and wild spaces. We aim to link as many of our animals as possible to conservation initiatives. Our range of pioneering captive breeding programmes include the water vole, pine marten, hazel dormouse, red squirrel, Konik horse, European beaver, harvest mouse, adder and water shrew.

 

For more information Contact Fiona Paterson:

fiona@wildwoodtrust.org

Tel:          01227 712 111

 

www.wildwoodtrust.org

 

Fiona Paterson
Wildwood Trust

Herne Common

Herne Bay

Kent

CT6 7LQ

www.wildoodtrust.org

Tel: 01227 712 111
Registered charity no 1093702

 

 

Wildwood Trust joins celebrities in signing up to save England’s badgers

007, M, an Avenger, Prince Vultan, Judge John Deed, a Prime Minister and a lion-hearted lady are amongst the stars that have signed up to save England’s Badgers.

Wildwood Trust’s Peter Smith was very honoured to be asked to add his name to the list of 100 of the UK’s leading celebrities, Scientists and Wildlife leaders campaigning to save the Badger.

Sir Roger Moore, Dame Judi Dench, Joanna Lumley, Brian Blessed, Martin Shaw, Anthony Head and Virginia McKenna OBE are among over one hundred celebrities, scientists, naturalists, veterinarians and leading animal welfare and conservation groups to have signed a statement calling on the Government to stop the badger cull.  In a plea for compassion, the signatories ask the Government for its policy of killing to be abandoned and replaced with more scientifically credible, humane and effective solutions to tackling bovine TB (bTB).

The Joint letter was sent to David Cameron MP, Nick Clegg MP, Owen Paterson MP and Mary Creagh MP.

“We the undersigned ask the government to stop the badger cull and to implement instead the more sustainable and humane solution of vaccination, improved testing and better bio-security”

Two pilot culls intended to test the safety, efficacy and humaneness of killing badgers by free shooting or cage trapping and shooting are planned to begin any day now for a period of six weeks in undisclosed areas of West Somerset and West Gloucestershire.  If deemed successful, these plans could then be rolled out further, throughout the West Country to Derbyshire and the Midlands, in the mistaken belief that killing badgers will have a significant impact on the spread of  bTB.  Up to ten licences will be issued each year for four years, possibly resulting in the killing of as many as 130,000 badgers according to Natural England.

The signatories stand in solidarity with 263,000 members of the British public who have so far signed the Stop the Cull petition launched by astrophysicist and rock guitarist Dr Brian May.  It is the most successful ever H.M. Government e-petition.  Brian May founded Team Badger whose member groups include the popular Canterbury based charity Wildwood Trust, as well as many of the leading Wildlife charities in the UK.  Their joint outreach is to approximately four million members of the public, who subscribe to these organisations in order to protect wildlife and conserve the countryside for future generations.

Dr Brian May – Save Me, said:

On behalf of supporters of the Save-Me campaign and 263,000 signatories of the anti-badger cull petition on the Government’s website, we would like to remind the Government that there is massive public opposition to this ill-fated cull, which, it is becoming ever more clear, will not be of any advantage to cattle or farmers. The Government is acting, for political motives, on a course which cannot succeed in eradicating Bovine TB.  We urge David Cameron to take positive action to accelerate progress towards vaccination of wildlife and, most importantly, vaccination of the source of bTB in this country, cattle, along with full review of the skin test method of removing supposed reactive animals from herds, and an overhaul of biosecurity and movement control measures.

Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust Chief Executive said:

“The badger debate has been around for a very long time, over 40 years, but behind the simplistic headlines that badger lovers and farmers are at loggerheads is a much more complex and subtle story, a story full of intrigue and vested interests competing for economic advantage.”

“Badgers have become an easy ‘scapegoat’ for those whose lives are threatened by bovine TB, but we must put aside short term economic needs if we are to tackle the serious problems that have built up in British farming.”

“Bovine TB was a dangerous disease and could infect people, mostly  through drinking milk. The introduction of pasteurisation effectively stopped the disease being transferred to humans. Over this time strict controls on cattle movements and herd quarantine ensured a reduction in bTB across the UK .  Since the 1970s these restrictions have been relaxed and the bTB has increased due to this lack of control.”

“Changes in intensive farming practices have also contributed to the epidemic, as cattle live in larger and denser groups and spend more time in large sheds and stockades increasing the spread of bTB. The larger groups ensure that bTB that is carried by few animals sub-clinically acting as a reservoir for the bTB going unobserved and be allowed to flare up again. This is the process that the farming lobby are trying to blame badgers, without credible scientific evidence.”

In a direct challenge to the vested interest threatening badgers and holding back the British farming industry, Wildwood Trust has come up with a four-point plan to eradicate TB from cows in the UK:

 

1.       Private insurance – reward the good and punish the bad

The present system of subsides rewards poor practice, the solution is to make those that cause the problem in farming through their bad and illegal farming practices. The best way to achieve this is by the withdrawal of all government subsidy and compensation payments. Farmers could then privately insure themselves against the risk of herd breakdown due to TB. This free market solution would reward good farming practices by such farmers having lower premiums. Farms with high risk would be charged high premiums and those farmers who commit fraud by changing ear tags and other illegal practices would invalidate their insurance.

2.       Reintroduction of stricter quarantine regulations on cattle movement

Detailed statistical analysis has shown that it is the movement of cattle from one farm to another that is by far the most important factor in the spread of TB*. The reintroduction of the strict quarantine measure abandoned in our past is key to control of bTB in the UK.

(*M. Gilbert, A. Mitchell, D. Bourn, J. Mawdsley, R. Clifton-Hadley & W. Wint Nature Vol 435|26 May 2005|doi:10.1038/nature0354)

3.       Good credible science – put the funds used for badger killing into proper scientific study of disease propagation and vaccines

The current system of spending large amount of taxpayers’ money on trials of shooting and gassing badgers at the expense of proper scientific study should stop. These funds should be redirected into proper microbiological research of the disease and its control by vaccination in cattle and badgers

4.       Introduce economic changes to taxation and land tenure to promote less intensive agriculture.

Our present system of taxation vastly favours tax-dodgers, land speculators,  large landowners and investment in huge cattle barns. This promotes the use of ever more intensive agricultural systems, increasing disease and animal suffering.

By shifting our tax base off wages and trade, and putting taxation on land values and natural resources we will promote farming jobs and animal welfare, making it economically competitive with farming practices that cause environmental destruction and lie behind poor animal welfare.

Badgers are just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood Discovery Park. For more information visit the website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 01227 712111.

Wildwood is an ideal day out for all the family where you can come 'nose to nose' with British Wildlife. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, wild boar and many more.

Wildwood is situated close to Canterbury, just off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 01227 712111

**********************************************

Ends

Peter Smith is available for interview, and badgers the of wildwood can be filmed their natural woodland enclosure. We can supply high quality Photos and Video of badgers

Click here to sign the Government E-petition to stop the badger cull

Click here to view Wildwood's Stop the Badger Cull Video on YouTube

For more information Contact Fiona Paterson or Peter Smith

Tel:          01227 712111

Key facts of bTB

1.       bTB is passed from animal to animal by aerosol in the form of close, mouth to mouth, transmission

2.       bTB is a ‘progressive’ disease not a black and white issue – the idea of ‘skin reactors’, the current method of detection is very flawed

3.       Cattle infect badgers but probably not the other way round (not one shred of real evidence exists for badger to cattle transmission, only inference conjecture)

4.       bTB is dormant for many years (if not decades in some animals) and this is the real ‘reservoir’ of infection –there is no real evidence of wild animal to cattle transmission. The best data available, from the studies done in Belgium, show that wild animal transmission has no statistical influence on the epidemiology

5.       The most probable culprit of the rise in bTB is when strict quarantine laws where relaxed 40 years ago, the bTB we see today is just the epidemiological statistical results of that relaxation, magnified by larger herd sizes (increases the chance a ‘dormant carrier’ infecting a herd) and greater densities in cattle sheds.

6.       Many cattle diseases, not just bTB, have increased over that time, pointing the finger to industry practices and animal husbandry issues

7.       Stress and ‘unnatural’ diet may (and I stress may as no real evidence) play a role in increasing the progression and expression of bTB in cattle

Wildwood summer e-news

Wildwood e-news Summer 2013
 

1) Summer fun at Wildwood
2) Farmer's Market at Wildwood
3) Conservation Courses
4) Toddler club update
5) Win a family ticket to Wildwood
6) Give As You Live - help raise money for Wildwood
7) Supporter of the month - Appliances Online
8) Thanks to our amazing supporters!

 

1) Summer fun at Wildwood

There is so much to do at Wildwood this summer holiday - including FREE owl flight displays, daily talks and feeds and fun family workshops.

Every day during holidays - FREE animal talks and feeds
Join our experts around the park for free animal talks and feeds every day during the school holidays. Check the What's On board on arrival or collect a schedule from the shop for the day's talks.
Free event* drop in any time.

Every day during holidays - FREE animal encounters around the park
Our wonderful team of animal experts will be out and about around the park with some of our tamer animals for you to meet up close. Keep your eyes open  - you never know who you might meet!   
Free event* Watch out for our team around the park.

Tuesdays & Thursdays during holidays - FREE owl flight displays
Don't miss our spectacular owl flight display this summer holiday. Pete Hurst, of Falconry South East will be at the park on Tuesdays and Thursdays flying his amazing owls. If you thought owls were already beautiful, just wait till you see them in full flight!
Free event* 2pm Tuesdays & Thursdays up until Thursday 29th August.

Tuesdays during holidays - FREE Nature Detectives workshop
Test your knowledge of animal tracks and signs with our fun family activity - guess who produced these tracks, this fur and this poo!
11.30am & 3pm every Tuesday during the school holidays. Free event* drop in any time.

Wednesdays during holidays - FREE Animal Enrichment workshop
Discover how we make life interesting for our animals and how we develop activities to keep them entertained. At 2.30pm see enrichment in action when our lynx perform their amazing jump to grab a tasty bite to eat! 
11.30am & 2pm every Wednesday during the school holidays. Free event* drop in any time.

Thursdays during holidays - FREE workshop - How do you feed a zoo?
Join our experts for a cookery demonstration with a difference! We will be showing you what we feed our animals, how it's prepared and which are our animals' favourite foods. 
11.30am & 3pm every Friday during the school holidays. Free event* drop in any time.

We will also have lots of extra activities going on at various times around the park including, BBQ's, Face Painting, Bat Flight Displays and our new Barn Owl (Barney) will be learning to fly!

*Please note that Wildwood membership or entry fees must be paid for entry to Wildwood.

 

2) Farmer's Market - 13th & 14th August

Join us as we celebrate some of the best of Kent's local food producers with Produced In Kent for a 2-day open air farmer's market. There will be a delicious range of foodie treats on offer including local game, artisan cakes and pastries and locally produced fruit juices.

Tuesday 13th August & Wednesday 14th August
10am - 5pm both days

Godmersham Game - Local fresh game and a BBQ serving up treats including venison burgers, venison sausages and wild boar sausages.

Core Fruit Products – Producers of farm-pressed, pure Kentish fruit juices. Products include: Kentish Cider, fruit juices and soft fruits.

Challock Chutney Co. - Homemade preserves, pickles and chutneys, carefully made in small batches, using traditional recipes with the ingredients sourced as locally as possible from around the village of Challock, situated on the North Downs of Kent. 

Olives R Good 4 U - A delicious array of olives and olives in sauces sourced from independent small European farms & Cooperatives who mainly use organic methods. Free from any artificial colourings, flavourings or preservatives.

Pearsons Bakery  - Artisan breads and cakes, all made freshly at their family run business in Herne Bay.

Temple Foods – Wonderful vegetarian food and curries from our lovely friends at Temple Foods.

Sweet Nostalgia – A delicious range of fudge made with cream, butter and lots of loving care. This small family business promises to bring you the best fudge you will ever taste!

CBs Bees - Local honey from this small artisan beekeeping operation based in East Kent.

Jack Raven Bushcraft - Jack Raven Bushcraft provides a wide range of bushcraft courses, ranging from 1 to 5 days in duration and covering essential bushcraft skills, foraging, tracking and nature awareness, axe skills, carving and more!

Free event, drop in any time. Please note that Wildwood membership or entry fees must be paid for entry to Wildwood.

 

3) Conservation Courses

 

As experts in conservation, Wildwood offers a wide range of conservation courses and training to cater for all levels, from beginners and amateur naturalists through to professional ecologists. 

All courses are held at Wildwood (unless otherwise stated) and include entry fees to the park. To book or for more information, please contact our Conservation team on 01227 711 471 or email courses@wildwoodtrust.org

 

Thursday 8th August - Skull Preparation Course
Learn how to clean and prepare animal skulls and bones for natural history reference collections. Skin, gut and deflesh a rabbit (or your own specimen to take home and finish).  Also includes skull anatomy and mammal dentition.
10.30am - 4pm. £35 per person. Min age 18yrs.
Please book with Suzanne Kynaston on 01227 711 471 or email courses@wildwoodtrust.org

Sunday 11th August - Skull Preparation Course
Learn how to clean and prepare animal skulls and bones for natural history reference collections. Skin, gut and deflesh a rabbit (or your own specimen to take home and finish.  Also includes skull anatomy and mammal dentition.
10.30am - 4pm. £35 per person. Min age 18yrs.
Please book with Suzanne Kynaston on 01227 711 471 or email courses@wildwoodtrust.org

Saturday 17th August - Dormouse Ecology & Conservation
In partnership with the Mammal Society
This one day course is recognised as the definitive course on dormouse ecology and monitoring. It is ideal for those with a general interest or those working towards their Dormouse Handling Licence. Included is a field visit to check nest boxes and information on relevant legislation.
£99 for individuals / £124 for groups. 
Please book with the Mammal Society on 02380 237 874 or visit www.mammal.org.uk

Saturday 14th September - Introduction to Spider Ecology & Identification
Learn how to identify spiders and understand their role in the ecosystem. Time will be spent out in the field finding spiders in their natural habitats and discussing their conservation.
10am - 4pm. £30 per person.
Please book with Suzanne Kynaston on 01227 711 471 or email courses@wildwoodtrust.org

 

4) Toddler club update

Our wonderful toddler club has now closed for the summer - thank you to all of our toddler club parents and tots, we look forward to seeing you after the holidays.

Toddler club will re-open on Monday 9th September, all parents with pre-school children are very welcome (no need to book, just come along).

Entry is free to toddler club (Wildwood membership or entry fees apply to enter the park).

NEW for 2013! Toddler club goes to 2 days a week!

Starting from September 9th, Toddler club will be held on Mondays and Thursdays for a trail period.

 

 

5) Take our website survey and win a family ticket to Wildwood!

Help us improve our website and you could win a family ticket to Wildwood.

Simply complete our short online survey (link below) to help us work out how to improve our website. Enter your email address to be included in the draw and at the end of the month we'll select 5 lucky winners at random to receive Free Family tickets!

Follow this link to take the survey: www.surveymonkey.com/s/NRHMP5H

 

6) Give as You Live - Help support Wildwood every time you shop!

Did you know you can help raise funds for Wildwood… just by shopping online?

Shop with your favourite stores and they'll donate to Wildwood -  without charging you a penny more. From John Lewis to Expedia, you can compare thousands of products and brands that will all raise money for Wildwood while you still get the best deal online.

All you need to do is join and install Give as you Live by following these easy steps:

1. Visit www.giveasyoulive.com/join/wildwood-trust/812416/912499 and click "Get started".

2. Fill in a quick few details. Your information is safe.

3. Install Give as you Live. This is 100% secure and takes seconds.

Now every time you shop online you can raise money for Wildwood- without it costing you a penny.

So join now and help Wildwood in our fight to save our native wildlife - thank you!

 

 

7) Supporter of the Month - Appliances Online

Following an advertising campaign featuring badgers, Appliances Online very kindly made a donation to Wildwood and adopted a Wildwood Badger.

"At Appliances Online we believe in making people happy. While badgers might not be people, if you can't make a badger happy, what hope do you have with people! So, in order to make some badgers happy we've decided to donate to The Wildwood Trust. They'll be making badgers happy by providing them with lots of love and care and we at AO have even adopted our very own badger. Happy badgers and happy people!" 
- The Appliances Online Team

 

We would like to say thank-you to Appliances Online for their support, your donation will help us in our work to save Britain's most threatened wildlife.

www.appliancesonline.co.uk

 

 

8) Thanks to our amazing supporters

We would like to say a big thank-you to our very generous supporters who have made some much needed donations in the recent months:

 

CRN Contract Services: www.crncontractservices.co.uk Thank you to CRN contract services who are kindly supporting Wildwood by donating a percentage of their profits each month to the Trust.

 

The Sue Wicks Collection - We would like to thank the friends and family of Deal archaeologist Sue Wicks who have kindly donated her lifetime collection of animal artefacts to Wildwood. The extensive collection includes animal skeletons, skulls, teeth, bones, books, furs and other artefacts and is an invaluable resource for our education team. The collection is of huge importance to Wildwood and we are already putting it to great use educating visiting schoolchildren and students. We cannot stress enough how amazing it is to have this collection at the park and we are extremely grateful to Sue's family and friends for thinking of us and we will ensure that the collection continues to inspire and inform for years to come. You can see items from the collection on display in the kiosk-style enclosure near the Beaver Lodge cafe.

Thanks for the bricks! - Thanks to Mr A Keame, who recently donated 500 bricks to the park, the bricks have been used for an exciting new project... (more news to follow)!

 

Drumming up support! - Thanks to our wonderful supporter who donated an oil drum after our recent Facebook appeal, the drum was then up-cycled by our ranger team into a BBQ for the park.

 

Can you help?

If you would like to raise money for Wildwood either as an individual, via your company or through your school or group, please contact Jess or Tess in our fundraising team on 01227 712 111.

 

 

The Wildwood Team
Tel 01227 712 111
www.wildwoodtrust.org

 

Wildwood Trust,
Herne Common,
Herne Bay,
Kent
CT6 7LQ

Registered Charity no 1093702