Black Country wildlife trust trains new staff in 'successful' conservation scheme
A conservation charity which helps to protect wildlife in the Black Country has trained 25 new members of staff as part of a four-year programme.
The Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust scheme, called Natural Prospects, saw the individuals learn about urban conservation.
The initiative for the training programme – which was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund – came as the organisation hoped to "tackle barriers" in the conservation sector, which saw them welcome non-graduates, those in receipt of benefits and people from black or minority ethnic groups.
Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: "What a pleasure to hear from such a diverse group of people about their journeys and motivations for working in nature conservation. We want to inspire and empower communities around the UK to play their part in nature’s recovery and trainees like these are front and centre of that cause.
"Training schemes like Natural Prospects provide fantastic opportunities for people to learn life-changing skills. We need more programmes like this to help tackle nature loss and climate change – the biggest challenges of our time."
As part of the programme, the group completed 12-month placements supported by different councils, including at Lickey Hills, the Walsall Arboretum and Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve.
Gareth Morgan, head of education and engagement at the trust added: "Natural Prospects has been a great success and it’s been hugely rewarding to see so many passionate naturalists complete the traineeship and take the next steps in their careers.
"Every trainee has benefited from the programme in unique ways, from learning life-long skills to developing their confidence. I would like to thank every trainee for their dedication to their placements; we are very proud of their achievements and grateful for their hard work.
"Natural Prospects would not have been possible without the amazing teamwork from our partners - so thanks are also due to colleagues at Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and the three local authorities.
"The funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and latterly, Green Recovery Challenge Fund has enabled us to develop this hugely successful programme over the last four years but this is by no means the end of the road; we are seeking new funding opportunities to continue to provide traineeship opportunities for the next generation of urban conservationists."
