I started volunteering on conservation working holidays because they were a way of seeing parts of the country the general public wouldn’t normally access. Plus I would be learning skills, meeting people from all walks of life, and making a difference to the environment. The home-made evening meals were great, sometimes using the famous BTCV cookery book (remember, grated cheese goes further), and sometimes the leader’s personal recipe (bread pudding with an entire bottle of brandy). I had great admiration for the leaders’ skill, ingenuity and careful budgeting enabling us to have a good day out on the mid-week day off. Over the years, I cleared bog myrtle from sedge beds at Horning Marsh Farm to help the Swallowtail butterly, cut down invasive rhododendron at an arts centre in Nantlle, planted trees in rock at Scargill House in Kettlewell, helped build a dry-stone wall at Pinkery in Somerset, removed birch and willow regrowth in the rain at Snelsmore Common, did some hedgelaying at Horseshoes Farm with the sound of turkeys in the distance, coppiced at Barlaston Common, and helped build a path in a return visit to Kettlewell which was just recovering from “mad-cow” disease. With such good workmates and leaders, it was sometimes a wrench to pack up and go home. Thanks to Bearded Pete and Pete who took the time to send postcards to us all after we had got home from Scargill House in 1993 reminding us to revisit. Thanks of course to TCV for setting up working holidays in the first place.
Written by Irene Lavington
Irene was involved with TCV between 1990 and 2005