Come and be part of a global voice for wild plants and fungi
Help wildlife, connect with nature and take part in No Mow May – straight from your garden by letting the wildflowers grow (in May and beyond!)
There are many different ways you can go the extra mile for Plantlife – from organising a bake sale, running the London Marathon or planning your own plant-themed event.
Our corporate partners benefit from 35 years of experience in nature restoration so they can achieve real impact.
Become a Plantlife member today and together we will rebuild a world rich in plants and fungi
Welcome to the volunteering news page. Here you can read our latest volunteering news, updates, volunteer stories, and explore opportunities to get involved with us. Whether you’re already a volunteer, or you’re looking for opportunities to join in and make a difference for wild plants and fungi, read our news articles to discover more about what our volunteers get up to and the difference they make to the work we do.
We’d like to say a big thank you to all our amazing volunteers for contributing their time and efforts to help us secure a world rich in plants and fungi. In the last year alone, over 1,500 volunteers have dedicated over 14,800 hours of their time to support our work. That’s the equivalent to 2,115 full days!
Here’s a video message from our volunteer mangers to say thanks for everything you do.
Find out what it’s like to volunteer at one of our nature reserves. Jim is an Ecologist at the walking and cycling charity Sustrans. He decided to spend one of his annual allocated volunteering days helping at our Deep Dale reserve in Derbyshire. He describes his day working in nature.
Online talk: How I took the most biodiverse garden to RHS Chelsea Flower Show – Thursday 13th February 7pm
As a Plantlife volunteer there’s always something you can get involved in. Here’s a roundup of upcoming talks, events, and training opportunities.
The thin green lines of road verges can be the last stand for many treasured wild plants and fungi. But how can these pockets of nature along the edge of our roads help in the fight for nature recovery? Road Verge Advisor, Mark Schofield, shares Plantlife’s ambition for these unassuming spaces and unearths the poetic inspiration they provide to artists Edward Chell and Nessie Ramm. This is an online talk via Zoom and is open to our volunteers and members.
Booking link will be sent by your volunteer manager.
Did you know species rich grasslands have declined by over 90% in less than a hundred years? Come & learn about our work & help us protect & manage the reserve.
When: Saturday 28th June 2025 10.30 – 4pm
Where: Plantlife Caeau Tan y Bwlch Reserve, near Clynnog Fawr, Gwynedd
Grid ref: SH 431488
What3Words: ///lotteries.dusted.birthdays
Bring: Clothing suitable for all weather conditions, stout footwear & a packed lunch.
This activity is suitable for over 18’s and is run in conjunctions with North Wales Wildlife Trust.
Where: Plantlife Cae Blaen-Dyffyrn Nature Reserve, near Lampeter, Carmarthenshire
Grid ref: SN 604441
What3Words: ///boomers.abundance.premature
Suitable for over 18’s.
Learn more about the subjects that spark your interest on Plantlife YouTube channel.
Plantlife – YouTube
Get familiar with ferns! Develop the skills you need to identify woodland ferns and learn more about the history of ferns and their cultural significance in this e-learning course.
Identifying Woodland Ferns e-learning course
Fungi form an important part of grasslands in the UK. With lyrical names like Ballerina waxcap, and Violet coral, these fungi are one of the most colourful and charismatic groups of fungi to learn to identify. On this course you will find out what these vibrant indicators can tell us about the health of a grassland, and how grasslands can be managed sympathetically to protect this globally important group of fungi.
This free self-guided, interactive course is aimed at anyone with an interest in learning about grassland fungi, how to identify them, and best management practices. The 4 units are:
The course supports you to get involved with Waxcap Watch, our grassland fungi citizen science project.
Here’s a roundup of some of our featured projects all of which involve volunteers, or will be involving volunteers in the future. This section will be added to over time as we shine the spotlight on our different projects. Be sure to check back in to keep an eye on the variety of different ways volunteers are working with us.
Ann Cantrell, Senior Ecological Advisor (Peak District) – 'With funding from Natural England, we are running a pilot project to monitor some of the Peak District’s rarest plants. This work will help us understand how the populations of these plants are faring across the White Peak landscape, what changes are happening, and to learn more about their needs, so we can better protect them and secure their long-term future. With volunteer support, we will collect data from multiple sites and monitor species to learn about their specialist habitat requirements and the threats they face.'
Dr Rachel Murphy, NPMS Volunteer Manager – ' The NPMS is a nationwide partnership project, supported by hundreds of volunteer citizen scientists, who do botanical surveys every year at their allocated sites. These long-term surveys are providing data that enables us to study the abundance and diversity of plants over time across 30 different semi-natural habitats. Our volunteers have access to an ongoing programme of training and events both online and in person.'
Michelle Richards, Conservation Trainee, Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn – ‘This 3-year project is funded by The Nature Networks Fund, delivered by the Heritage Fund, on behalf of the Welsh Government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales. We have been working with farmers, landowners, and agricultural colleges across Wales; offering surveys, advice and training in species ID and conservation grazing. Our focus is on conservation and enhancement of our threatened semi-natural grassland habitats. Plantlife has two nature reserves in Wales and volunteering opportunities throughout the year.'
Sam Jones, Project Manager Cairngorms Rare Plants and Wild Connections – 'This project is in its final few months. Our volunteers have made an excellent effort this summer through some terrible weather to get the last of the hard work done. From watering Twinflower cuttings during an exceptional dry spell, surveying our mob grazing trial meadows in the pouring rain, to watching the flood waters rise and cover our waxcaps during fungi surveys. It’s been an eventful year! Thank you to all volunteers who dedicated their time helping out.'
Ellie Baggett, Project Officer Natur am Byth! – 'Summer 2023 saw the launch of Natur am Byth, Wales’ largest natural heritage and outreach programme to save species from extinction and reconnect people to nature. Through our Welsh Marches project, we’re working in Powys, focussing on rare and fascinating lichens and bryophytes of veteran trees and dry rocky outcrops; communities which are increasingly at risk. Watch this space for upcoming events, training, and volunteering opportunities!'
Louise Senior, People Engagement Officer, Species on the Edge, North Coast – 'Species on the Edge is a collaborative approach to environmental action across Scotland’s coasts and islands. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the programme is overseen by NatureScot with partners from 7 conservation charities. On Scotland’s north coast, Plantlife is delivering work on behalf of Butterfly Conservation, Buglife and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Volunteers can help conserve the Great Yellow bumblebee, Small Blue butterfly and the Leaf beetle, as well as Scottish Primrose, Oysterplant and Purple Oxytropis.'
The website and the images on this Volunteer page is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, CC BY 4.0.
The project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to recruit and develop our Digital Volunteers programme.
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