Page last updated at 09:32 GMT, Wednesday, May 8 2013

Eastleigh Countryside Volunteers

Are you the sort of person who is fascinated by fungi, bowled over by butterflies, partial to plants or longs to be messy in the mud? If so then volunteering in the countryside could be for you.

There are so many benefits from becoming a countryside volunteer. It's great exercise - why go to the gym when you can be burning off calories by working hard in the fresh air. Our volunteers are a wide range of people so it can be an excellent way to make new friends. There's the opportunity to learn new skills such as hedgelaying, fencing or coppicing and above all, it's great fun!

As the name suggests, the Eastleigh Countryside Volunteers work on the sites throughout the borough. They are local people with an interest in the countryside. With their help and enthusiasm, Eastleigh Countryside Service manages and conserves over 800 acres of countryside within the Borough of Eastleigh, including Itchen Valley Country Park and Lakeside Country Park.

Itchen Valley Country Park & other sites
Each month, a practical task is organised by a Countryside Ranger. These are usually on the third Sunday of every month. These tasks can involve anything from building bridges for public access to planting hedgerows for birds and other wildlife. For these tasks you can just turn up.

Lakeside Country Park
The tasks at this site are every Wednesday morning and you need to book in advance by contacting the ranger on site: Lakeside@eastleigh.gov.uk or 023 8061 7882

There is a bi-monthly newsletter giving you all the news and details of tasks so you can keep up with everything that is going on.

Interested in Volunteering with us? Contact Dave Payne