VOLUNTEERING @BLAISE
We meet every Wednesday 10.30am at the Café by the main carpark where one or both of the Park Rangers lead on a wide variety of tasks, suitable for all ages and levels of fitness.
Other activities run directly by trained Friends of Blaise volunteers and /or the Park Rangers take place roughly at monthly intervals and will be notified a week in advance.
Dates and activities for events planned up to Christmas 2023 available here but be aware these are subject to change so get in touch if you wish to come.
Contact us (contact@friendsofblaise.co.uk) if you want to be kept up to date with all our activities as well as receiving our Newsletters.
Woodland conservation activities are often dependent on the seasons; over the Winter we have been concentrating on woodland clearance and coppicing. During birdnesting season, this is no longer possible and we turn to the removal of specific invasive plants such as Himalayan balsam, laurel and rhododendron (where birds seldom nest).
Seeding and bedding in of native plants and protecting the riverbanks and pond edges from being worn away mainly by dogs, will also be on the agenda.
See also under the “Castle” section for volunteering opportunities when the building is opened to the public once or twice a month from end March to October.
Current Volunteering Opportunities
Friends of Blaise offer a wide range of opportunities for volunteering with local experienced volunteers and park rangers. Often we team up with other local community groups for this. Great as an outdoor gym or if you just want to commune with nature in a magnificent setting.
BLAISE Community Garden
A sister organisation to us with its own chariatable status, this group offers complementary actvities you may want to consider; in addition to gardening it offers constuction work, helping out with events and welcoming visitors. Hidden away to the side of the museum, behind the original walls used to enclose the former kitchen garden to the great house, this 2 acre site contains multiple greenhouses for growing fruit, vegetables and flowers. In addition it has an all-purpose cabin, a pond, a beehive, an orchard, and a large meeting room. It is open throughout the year every Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 2pm where tea, coffee and often home-made cakes are available to the volunteers. For more detail see their separate website.
Current Volunteering Opportunities
WOOD LAND WORK
Between October and March with no bird nests to disturb, there will be a regular work programme of coppicing, tree thinning and scrub clearance throughout the 300 acres of woodland. This is a great chance to get out and immerse yourself in this historic, wild landscape.
BALSAM BASHING
In conjunction with other local community groups, we clear invasive plants such as Himalayan Balsam from the river banks in the summer months. So, if you want to check this out, text/call us on 07932943941 anytime or email at contact@blaise.co.uk ; if necessary, we can arrange an introductory visit.
IF ANY OF THE ABOVE INTERESTS YOU CLICK BELOW TO CONTACT US!
