Pollinator Pathways Trainee

Avon Wildlife Trust is recruiting 2x Trainees to join the Pollinator Recovery Team. These 9-month placements require no previous experience or degree level education, and offer the skills and experience necessary to kickstart a career in the environmental sector. Insects pollinate £690 million worth of crops in the UK annually, with wild pollinators carrying out 85-95% of this. Many species of bee, moth, butterfly, hoverfly, fly and beetle provide this essential, often overlooked, service. Despite this, the steep decline of pollinating insects, and the loss of the habitats that support them, are well documented. The AWT and partner organisations in the West of England aim to halt and reverse these losses, with an ambition to become the UK's Bee & Pollinator Capital. As a Pollinator Pathways trainee, you will help to support delivery of this ambition. The Pollinator Pathways project focuses on the area within the 'B-Line' (Biodiversity line), between AWT's reserves of Folly Farm and Browne's Folly, with ambitions to scale up and expand this work around the Avon area. The trainee will support the teams work with farmers, landowners and communities to grow the network of habitats between these reserves. To ensure climate resilience you will work hands on, with expert support from project staff, on a variety of priority habitats including grasslands, hedgerows, in-field trees and woodland edges, all of which are important pollinator habitats. There is also a generous training budget which will allow successful applicants to learn new skills such as GIS (Geographic Information System), First aid, Species ID, UK habitat classification, Biodiversity Net Gain training, Brushcutter/hand tool training etc. Trainees will under-take one 'study' day per week where they can research/train in relevant areas of interest. As a Pollinator Pathways trainee you will:

• Support the project team in delivering the Pollinator Pathways Project
• Carryout 1 day per week of dedicated study. Details to be agreed with the Pollinator Recovery Manager
• Gain the skills, licences and experience needed to start a career in the environmental sector
• Learn how to deliver nature recovery projects (admin and ground works)
• Obtain a good understanding of relevant legislation and funding processes
• Help arrange and run community engagement events and volunteer work days
• Shadow senior staff on farm visits and community events, assisting in writing reports for landowners
• Support habitat surveys and monitoring efforts alongside the project team
  
  Part time fixed term 9 month contract 30 hours a week over four days.
This post is paid at National Living Wage £11.44 per hour regardless of age. Usual weekly wage £343.20. The interview process for successful applicants will be in the form of an informal 'workday' group interview at Folly Farm Centre, Stowey on Tuesday 26/11/24 where we will undertake some habitat maintenance works, with informal discussions with each candidate. Staff Benefits Avon Wildlife Trust provides a range of benefits for employees including;
• Employer pension contribution up to 5% (if eligible)
• Life assurance - death in service
• 25 days annual leave plus public holidays (pro-rata)
• Hybrid working
• Employee assistance programme
Avon Wildlife Trust is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse organisation where everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of seeing nature restored on a grand scale across the Avon region, we need talented and more diverse people on nature's side. We have robust child safeguarding policies, and this role requires two references.