Volunteering can be a good way to keep fit, meet new people, get skills for work and of course do something valuable in or for the countryside. Many organisations working to conserve and enhance the Kent Downs National Landscape landscape rely on the assistance of volunteers.
They offer many voluntary opportunities, including conservation projects, work placements, guided walks, litter and river wardens. The range of activities is so wide that there’ll be something for you.
Whatever you choose, your volunteering will be appreciated and rewarding. Choosing to volunteer can also be a way to share an interest or learn how to do something new. Whatever the reason, volunteering brings its own rewards and satisfactions – like learning new life skills, increased social life, improving your local community and much, much more.
Kent Wildlife Trust has a series of wonderful sites across the Kent Downs where there are many opportunities to volunteer to help.
Plantlife – Ranscombe Farm is Plantlife’s largest nature reserve in England, with a total area of over 250 hectares (620 acres). Its rolling landscape includes arable farmland, large areas of ancient woodland and fragments of chalk grassland, and offers superb views across the surrounding countryside. The site has been known for hundreds of years as an important site for rare wildflowers. Volunteers are essential to the conservation work at the reserve. A midweek volunteer team meets every Wednesday, and they are always keen for new people to come along. Plantlife provide all the tools and instruction needed – you provide the enthusiasm and energy! For further information about volunteering please see their website at
The Conservation Volunteers has many different ways to volunteer.
Get involved with a range of activities from tree planting to assisting in the visitor centres with one of the several Country Parks located in the Kent Downs National Landscape
Kent Countryside Management Partnerships
Become a voluntary warden assisting with the management and maintenance of the trails on The North Downs Way which runs through the Kent Downs
Help manage footpaths and bridleways with Kent Public Rights of Way voluntary opportunities