Join our team of friendly volunteers and contribute to valuable wildlife conservation and general maintenance tasks around our beautiful 70 acre woodland site. Develop new skills, meet other like-minded volunteers, get active and learn about wildlife in a relaxing and nourishing environment.
Our practical volunteer days run from 10am to 3pm, on the first Friday and third Wednesday of each month, and everyone is invited! We welcome children over the age of 8, accompanied by a responsible adult.
Tasks vary throughout the year; examples include tree thinning, coppicing, path maintenance, hedge laying, hurdle making, scything, bramble/bracken clearing, tree planting, firewood restocking and buildings maintenance.
Activities often require the use of tools. There are free training opportunities throughout the year for skilled tool use, such as scything and log splitting. There are also opportunities for self-led mini projects for regular volunteers, such as making benches or bird nest boxes.
To sign up for one of our volunteer days you’ll need to complete a registration form before attending. Please email Lauren Kearse, Volunteer Admin Coordinator, for a form – lauren@hazelhill.org.uk
Read 15 year old Alex’s blog about volunteering with us here.
Volunteer Days FAQs
Is there any minimum level of physical ability required? Most of the tasks we do are physical and the wood itself does provide tricky terrain for those less mobile. Having said that, we pride ourselves on our inclusivity and our creativity and so we are always willing to discuss potential volunteer contributions on a case by case basis (we already have volunteers helping administratively for example).
What support is provided by staff? We have at least one fully trained member of staff on site at all times directing and supervising volunteer activity, as well as offering training and support.
What do I bring? Bring water and a packed lunch – we’ll provide tea, coffee and biscuits, and usually cake! Drinking water is available on site, for you to top up your water bottle. Dress for the weather in clothes and sturdy shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. We highly recommend long trousers due to the presence of ticks in the wood – please click here for more info. Please check the weather forecast and bring waterproofs, warm layers, sun hat, sun protection and insect repellent as appropriate – if you’re not sure then bring it all! We will be outside for most or all of the day.
Can I bring my dog? No sorry, we are a no dogs site.
Can I bring my child/children? Yes, if they are over the age of 8 and if you are able to supervise them and, enable them and the rest of the group to work safely and effectively.
Can I just turn up on the day? No, please let us know when you are planning to come. This enables us to plan appropriate tasks, and prepare accordingly – including making sure we have enough cake!
How do I get there? Hazel Hill Wood is located off Grimstead Road between Farley and East Grimstead. If using sat nav, use postcode SP5 1AU and you’ll see our yellow and green “Hazel Hill Wood” sign on the road – we don’t have our own postcode but this one is for the farm opposite us. Detailed directions to the wood can be found here. Please get in touch if transport is an issue and we will try and help.
Can I visit Hazel Hill Wood whenever I like? No, Hazel Hill Wood is not open to the public every day. We welcome local people to enjoy the peace of the wood (no dogs please) during volunteer days, 10am-3pm. We encourage arriving on foot or by bicycle if possible.
Can I arrive late or leave early? Not really and yes. Ideally everyone arrives ready to start at 10am, as we work in different locations around the wood each time and may not be easy to find. We do a group welcome and health and safety briefing at 10am. Some people come for the morning and leave at lunchtime (around 1pm) which is always an option if that works better for you.
When and where will we have lunch? Should I leave my stuff in my car when I arrive? We normally use either the Campfire Circle (outdoor and uncovered) or Roundhouse (outdoor and covered) as our base for the day. Please either keep any valuables with you or leave in your car. Most people leave their lunch at the base. We generally stop for a tea break at about 11.20am and lunch at 1pm.
Will I get phone signal and internet? You might, or you might not – it depends on your phone and network provider. You could see this as a chance for a “digital detox”! We will always have a phone with signal available in case of emergency.
How will I know when Volunteer Days are? Our regular Volunteer Days are on the first Friday and third Wednesday of each month. We sometimes do extra days and other events that may be of interest – please sign up to our volunteer mailing list here to stay up to date.
Do you ever cancel due to the weather? Very occasionally, if there is a significant risk to our safety. E.g. very high winds, which increases the risk of trees and tree limbs falling. E.g. snow, making it more risky to travel to the wood and get home again safely. We go ahead in the rain. We adapt our plans to the weather as appropriate, including in the heat. As a volunteer, it’s completely up to you to decide whether to come or not. Let us know if you would like to borrow a raincoat and/or wellies. If we do cancel, we’ll send an email out and make sure we’ve heard back from everyone who was planning to come, either by email or phone. From memory, I think we’ve cancelled one or two volunteer days in 5 years.