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Sorry - there are no volunteer opportunities
at present.
To find out more
about year round practical countryside volunteering with the Peak
District National Park contact the Access and Recreation service
on 01629 816290.
Moors for the Future are keen to engage
the local community in the work of the project and we endeavour
to offer worthwhile volunteering experiences
where possible and appropriate. While many of our tasks utilise
large equipment and materials in often inaccessible locations we
have undertaken a number of tasks with volunteer groups.
During 2005 we took volunteer groups onto
Bleaklow to spread heather brash and lay geo-jute to protect grass
and heather seed sown by helicopter from wind, rain and frost (more
on these techniques). Within a year, heather and grasses are already
evident on these sites.
However, the main emphasis of our practical
work with volunteers has been to produce cottongrass plants from
seed. Cottongrass has an extensive root network that helps to naturally
stabilise the peat and prevent erosion.
A number of groups are involved including the Green Health Partnership,
Rethink, Brockholes Community Primary School and a Gardening Club
in Chapel-en-le frith. Approximately 8,000 plants have been germinated
at a success rate of over 80% since June 2004. The Green Health
Partnership in particular have been instrumental in not only helping
to collect the seed from two sites; Beeley Moor on the Chatsworth
Estate and from Bleaklow, but also producing the large bulk of these
plants and developing a successful germination procedure in a purpose
built polytunnel we funded. The first 1,500 plants were planted
on Kinder Scout in June 2006 and further planting is planned for
later in the autumn.
 
Each year we also recruit a number of volunteers
to monitor the restoration work we carry out, by surveying the plants
that are growing in given areas. Thes usually occurs in July/August
so if you are interested in gaining skills in plant identification
look out for the adverts in May and June.
see also current job
vacancies
Research Library
Many thanks to Clara Lo, 2004, who got our library up and running
whilst completing her MA in Librarianship at the University of Sheffield.
John Kirby did a stirling job for us and implemented all the current
systems as well as researching the library software until his untimely
death on 7 December 2006. He will be sadly missed by us all.
Monitoring
Nadine Eickenscheidt and Leif Nett helped with the monitoring of
our restoration sites during the summer of 2004, which included
brave days on a misty Bleaklow and lots of fun in the peat. They
also digitised and analysed the data and wrote a very useful report
of their findings. Thanks also to David Orchard, 2005, whose expertise
with GIS, Map Info and drop down menus on palm tops was invaluable
to our research team. Many thanks also to Chris Field, Darren Lorking,
Bridget Stewart and Vivien Heyes who kindly helped with the monitoring
of our restoration sites during the summer of 2005, which included
the braving of a number of very wet days on Bleaklow. They also
digitised and analysed the data and wrote a very useful report.
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