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Who are Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland?

On the 4th of July 1983, Professor David Bellamy, the world-renowned environmentalist, launched Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland. In those days Conservation Volunteers consisted of one employee and one volunteer operating from a cricket pavilion in Belfast. How things have changed!

We now have offices and staff in Belfast, Londonderry, Coleraine, Fermanagh, Ballymoney and Bangor as well as a tree nursery and two wildflower nursery sites. Most important though, are the thousands of volunteers that have been involved in the last two decades. During the Millennium Tree Campaign alone, it is estimated that 80,000 people and over 1,500 organisations (including 600 schools) took part in the planting of 1.5 million trees.

Volunteering has always been central to environmental conservation in the UK. From the outset, Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland has played an important role in the management of wildlife habitats and in developing people's knowledge and awareness of issues relating to the about the countryside and our environment.

So, why do people volunteer? Well, not for the money! People and communities want to see a healthy and diverse environment and wish to contribute in practical ways to achieve this. Come rain or shine, volunteers are taking part in an enormous range of practical projects such as:

• Growing many thousands of new native trees and wildflowers, and planting them back into our towns, cities and countryside.
• Improving access to the environment by building and maintaining fences and footpaths.
• Planting new or restoring old hedgerows.
• re-creating woodland areas and meadows.
• developing recycling and composting schemes.
• creating new ponds and managing and maintaining established ponds

...and many more environmental and social improvements. In our 20th year, we are still specialising in working with people within their communities to bring about positive environmental change in both rural and urban settings. We continue to offer our expertise in the management of volunteer programmes, developing and delivering community support, and running employment and training initiatives.

All this sounds terribly serious, but one of the major reasons why we are successful in attracting such a large army of volunteers is that it is FUN. Ask any volunteer or anyone who has signed up to a conservation holiday and they will say that the exercise was extremely enjoyable, that they enlarged their social circle and achieved the satisfaction of contributing to a worthwhile job well done.

From its beginnings (two people sitting round a table in 1983) the achievements of Conservation Volunteers and its contribution to the feel good factor of Northern Ireland and its people are impressive. Amongst the landmarks are:

• The Shell Better Britain Campaign award in 1989 for the Causeway Coast School Nature Reserve
• The Royal Forestry Society’s 1990 Duke of Cornwall award for Forestry and Conservation at and in conjunction with the Clandeboye Estate (which has the largest remaining area of broad-leaved woodland in Northern Ireland)
• The 1994 Barclays Urban Life Award with the Stepping Stone Centre on Newtownards Road Belfast
• In 1995, our one-millionth tree (fittingly an Irish yew) was planted at Aldegrove Airport
• In 1997, the Millennium Tree Campaign was launched with the aim of planting a tree for every citizen in Northern Ireland. (1.5 million). In 2000 this target was met
• Thousands of volunteers and members of community groups trained, encouraged and motivated to look after their environment to the benefit of their community and society in general

And what of the future? Some of our significant projects for the beginning of the 21st century are:

• Environments for All - Conservation Volunteers’ Environments for All programme makes opportunities for looking after the local environment relevant and accessible to black, ethnic minority and disadvantaged communities. It is funded by the Community Fund with support from Barclays
• Green Gym - represents a new approach to creating healthier communities and a healthier environment
• The Northern Ireland Tree Campaign. This is ongoing work to try to improve the tree cover in Northern Ireland by identifying locally important trees, demonstrating why they are important, and working with groups and individuals to collect, propagate and plant new trees from seed. Our Tree Nursery is integral to this
• The Wildflower Nursery - a project to collect wildflower seeds of local (i.e. Northern Ireland) provenance and grow them on at our two Wildflower Nursery sites in Belfast
• The Green Machine - A mobile classroom visiting schools, colleges and community groups to deliver environmental education in Northern Ireland

Conservation volunteering helps develop people's confidence, through the practical work they do, the organisational skills they acquire, and the experience of working in a very diverse group towards a common goal. It also promotes lifelong learning and environmental awareness, and improves employment prospects. In the early years of the 21st century, quality of life will be increasingly valued. A healthy environment is a key component of the quality of life and the concept of 'environment' is embracing an ever-wider range of issues that affect people's day-to-day lives. Conservation volunteering plays an important part in addressing these issues by contributing to the development of a more sustainable society.

For further information on volunteering opportunities contact your nearest office