Predominantly based at Lower Chew Forest, work will be carried out across our catchment area and project sites, with some flexible office and home working opportunities available.

Your legacy will be a tangible impact on slowing down climate change and helping nature recover by contributing to Avon Needs Trees’ (ANT) on-the-ground habitat restoration work, helping to meet our goals to plant hundreds of thousands of trees and enhance complementary habitats.

You will join a fast-growing organisation that started in 2019 with four volunteers and has grown to a staff team of 26, over 1,000 volunteers and ownership of over  600 acres of land that will grow woodlands of over 160,000 trees.

You will be primarily focused on our Chew Valley projects but with involvement across all our sites.

We are looking for a positive people-person looking for practical land management experience and knowledge of habitat creation, alongside a desire to learn new skills and land management techniques.

Training and Development Opportunities

At trainee level the candidates will be expected to have enthusiasm and passion for the role and the environment but may not have all of the practical skills and certifications required for the role from day one. Depending on existing qualifications, training will be provided in, for example, key land management skills such as tractor driving and use of chainsaw. The training programme will be developed with the appointee to ensure they have the necessary skills to perform their role as well as grow their skills to progress in their career in land management and woodland creation. Where responsibilities listed below fall outside of existing experience or skillset, training will be provided to ensure the role can be fulfilled.

Main Responsibilities

• Working with the Land and Habitat Manager to ensure ANT staff and volunteers are supported in terms of site logistics and habitat creation
• Working with ANT’s Land Management Board and project leads to implement and maintain a site maintenance programme for all ANT’s land projects
• Gain proficiency in land management and mapping software to support the creation and establishment of woodland and habitats, as well as monitoring of biodiversity on site.
• Work with contractors, staff and volunteers on the delivery of woodland and habitat creation and site maintenance across ANT’s sites, with a focus on ANT’s Chew Valley projects.
• Support on-site logistics:
• Moving and receiving deliveries of tree planting / restoration materials etc.
• Ensuring safe public access and parking
• Infrastructure such as fencing and basic carpentry / construction / building maintenance
• General site problem solving and basic maintenance tasks
• Support habitat creation and establishment, including; woodland, species-rich grassland, wood pasture, and wetland. Work with the Land and Habitat Manager to ensure this work is delivered according to habitat creation plans and schedules. This will include:
  • GIS mapping and planning
  • Scoping of potential new woodland creation sites
  • Tree planting
  • Mulching
  • Trico spraying
  • Cut and collect using a tractor and flail mower
  • Weeding trees and open space
  • Brushcutting
  • Fencing
  • Watering of trees
  • Pruning of fruit and nut orchard trees
  • Orchard tree planting
  • Felling small trees / woodland management
• Contributing to site hazard and risk assessments
• Running and coordinating volunteers and volunteer leaders on-site conservation, tree care and tree planting
• Using and maintaining tools and equipment
• Work with the Land and Habitat Manager to ensure land use is compliant with regulations, including enforcing regulations.
• Other duties and opportunities as required

• Passion and commitment to addressing the climate and nature emergencies in general and woodland creation in particular
• Ability to thrive in a busy, exciting environment
• Ambitious and positive about new opportunities and challenges
• A diligent worker with the ability to follow complex instructions to work with autonomy in a dynamic environment, escalating decisions where needed
• Strong interest in of one or more of the following: woodland creation, tree planting, grassland creation, and wetland creation
• Experience of communicating with a diverse range of people, to build good working relationships with colleagues and volunteers
• Willingness to work in remote field-based locations in adverse weather, with the ability to complete physical requirements of the job, with or without reasonable adjustments
• Ability to reliably travel to our sites

Please be aware this job is part of our Forestry Roots traineeship which is charitably funded and all applicants must fulfil the below eligibility criteria:

•  Aged 18-30 years old
• Faced a barrier to education or employment
• Not currently gainfully employed, or working within the forestry or arboriculture sector

You will need to be available to start work between the 1 August and the 31 September.

Early submission is encouraged as we reserve the right to close these vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications.