Purple flowers against a blurred green background of grass

Volunteering

We always welcome volunteers at The Hive.

There are lots of reasons why you'd want to get involved. Maybe you'd want to gain work experience to enter a career in the environmental sector or build your skills while making a contribution in promoting our vision.  Or maybe you want to meet like minded people and get out in the fresh air!

Whatever the reason, whoever you are, whatever your level of experience, we’d love to hear from you. Here are the types of volunteering we offer at The Hive:


 

Groundswork Volunteering

Are you passionate about preserving the natural beauty of Epping Forest while gaining hands-on experience in practical groundswork?

Tasks include:

  • Pond clearing
  • Hedgerow maintenance
  • Meadow clearing
  • Raised bed management
  • Other seasonal site maintenance
people in waders clearing out vegetation from a pond
A clearance day at one of our ponds on site, removing dead vegetation
and making room for new growth.

 

Education Volunteering

Are you passionate about nature and eager to share your knowledge with the next generation? 

Tasks include:

  • Assist in the delivery of outdoor education sessions
  • Help organise resources
  • Inspire the future generation to care for our environment

This is a support role and you will be trained and supported by our experienced education staff.

Teaching staff Kerry assisting two KS2 girls identify animals in a pond dipping tray
A popular summer activity is pond dipping on our grounds, where
children identify and classify pond animals and place them in a food
chain.

Events Volunteering

Are you an enthusiastic and community-oriented individual who loves bringing joy to families and creating memorable experiences?

Tasks include:

  • Coordinate with other volunteers and staff to organise and run activities at our events
  • Confidently communicate with visitors 
  • Assist in the promotion of events to widen participation 
  • Enjoy meeting and greeting new people!
Young male volunteer talks about our animals while child is holding an oragne corn snake in their arms.
Volunteering at our events is a great way to meet our community
and learn more about what we do as a centre. 

"Volunteering at The Hive, I had the opportunity to lead and assist on activities such as shelter building, campfires, team games and forest art. This encouraged the development of important skills such as leadership, initiative, teamwork and creativity. In addition, getting to work with a variety of school groups and ages, both in the classroom and the forest was an extremely rewarding experience, encouraging the ability to interact with different types and abilities of learners. Overall, a great volunteering experience - although I’m still afraid of the snakes!"

Stephanie Hands, University of Southampton