Education Warden

PLEASE NOTE:

Office Location – Heathland House, Heather Farm, Woking, Surrey GU21 4XY
. You must be able to travel to the Thames Basin Heaths SPA daily, with the role requiring occasional weekend/early morning and evening work. The TBH SPA and local partners fall within parts of Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey.

The team provides an on-the-ground wardening service on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (TBH SPA). Working closely with the Special Protection Area (SPA) landowners and managers and other key partners (including local authorities, Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, Ministry of Defence, Forestry Commission, and The Crown Estate), the team engages directly with the public through engagement and education to raise awareness amongst visitors of the importance and sensitivity of this internationally important heathland site.

The Thames Basin Heaths Partnership (TBHP), hosted by Natural England’s Thames Solent Area Team, is fully funded from developer contributions, and is overseen by the Thames Basin Heaths (TBH) Joint Strategic Partnership Board (JSPB), a body comprising eleven local authorities, and Hampshire and Surrey County Councils.

Responsibilities for this Education Warden role are primarily providing support to the Education & Engagement Officer in the day-to-day delivery of the ‘Our Amazing Heathlands’ education programme, assisting with the planning and the delivery of curriculum-linked education sessions in schools and other education settings, across the TBH area.

Secondarily, engaging with the public on the SPA and at events, to raise awareness about the SPA’s importance, spreading wildfire awareness and promoting Suitable Accessible Natural Green space (SANG) sites as alternatives.

Additionally, this role will provide support to the team’s warden and communications functions, through providing social media content, writing articles, and collecting data through surveys.

The role requires some involvement with the Heathland Hounds project – a sub team of the TBH SAMM project, focused on interacting with dog walkers – who are a key audience to which the projects key message ‘paws on paths’ is aimed, to encourage behaviour change and ultimately protect the SPA and reduce disturbance to its protected species.

• Deliverinspiringeducational sessions to children and young people, in a variety of settings, including in school and on heathland.
• Warden the SPA and engage and educate the general public about the ground nesting birds and to promote the use of SANGs.
• Organise and run events and popups onsite andrun andfacilitateevents during Heath Week (supporting delivery of a wider engagement programme).
• Develop andmaintainrelationships with stakeholders,partners and landowners to support and run events, pitstops and popups.
• Help with social media posts, websiteblogsand articles for newsletters.

• Degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) level qualification in countryside management, nature conservation, environmental science or a related discipline, or evidence of equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience of delivering educational activities to children and young peoplein an outdoor setting.
• Experience of developing positive relationships with schools and community groups.
• Ability to design, develop and deliver engaging and interactive educational sessions.
• Experience of, and confident in engaging with the public, particularly where this experience has been gained from having worked outdoors in a nature conservation/ countryside access-related role.
• Knowledge of Natural England’s purpose and how this work will contribute to its aims and objectives.
• Good written and verbal skills to enable effective…