Overview

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust has been successful in securing a grant from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund to further its strategic Waterscapes Programme.

‘Flourishing Floodplains’ is an exciting and ambitious partnership project, which aims to restore the rich natural heritage of the Severn & Avon Vales by re-establishing priority wetland habitats in the farmed landscape, building capacity for floodplain restoration and management, and connecting people with the floodplain landscape. It contributes to:

• Nature conservation and restoration, by creating or restoring wetland habitats in ca.6,400ha of a 38,000ha wider landscape, and promoting adaptive management to restore two emblematic species: Eurasian curlew and European eel.
• Nature-based solutions, by developing local skills in floodplain restoration and soil management, thereby enhancing flood regulation, soil health and carbon storage. We will develop economic models for floodplain farming that improve ecosystem service delivery.
• Connecting people with nature, by creating a diverse network of floodplain champions through community engagement, volunteering and citizen science.

Role outline

Your role will be responsible for the coordination and delivery of a programme of engagement activities, aimed at farmers, land managers and local communities in the Severn & Avon Vales landscape.  You will work closely with specialists within the Project team, drawing together knowledge and expertise on lowland curlew recovery, pond and meadow restoration, wetland science and agricultural economics to provide advice and guidance on regenerative floodplain farming.  In addition, you will seek to engage local people with wetland conservation, using your creativity to inspire and inform. Activities you will take a lead on include a plug planting initiative and a community art project.

You will act as a main point of contact for existing farmers, land managers and volunteers, and play an active role in developing new relationships with other stakeholders in the area.

Although there will be no direct budgetary or line management responsibilities, you need to be competent at project planning, management and budgeting.  You will be tasked with keeping accurate records and reporting progress to the Project team on a regular basis.

The successful candidate will have a passion for wetland conservation, a working knowledge of the natural environment, and outstanding communication skills.  You will be experienced at engaging a wide variety of audiences and adept at using your creative skills to deliver stimulating and impactful events. This project marks an important step forward for wetland conservation in the Severn and Avon Vales; therefore, the person we are looking for needs to be collaborative, diplomatic, forward-thinking and able to inspire.