Field Ornithologist Traineeship x 2

Reports to:        WSBRC Project Officer

Salary:                  £6000 Bursary (6 monthly payments of £1000pcm)

Contract:            Full Time Traineeship 6 months

Hours:                 37.5 hours per week Monday to Friday   

Based at:            Elm Tree Court, Long Street, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1NJ 

The Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) is a species of conservation concern, has declined around 60% and is on the UK Red List due to these long-term population declines. This decline has especially affected breeding lapwing across southern England. Within Wiltshire lapwing have disappeared from many areas where they once were common breeders. In the areas where they remain, anecdotal evidence suggests that the numbers have collapsed. Despite this awareness, there has been little conservation effort, no coordinated landscape efforts to quantify the changes the population is suffering or help to protect the remaining breeding pairs.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and Project Peewit aim to clarify this situation by gaining an understanding of the number of breeding lapwing, their distribution and threats. Also, this role allows contribute towards the work of Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre (WSBRC) and learn about not only the work of The Wildlife Trust but also the work of a Local Environmental Record Centre.

While WSBRC, along with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is committed to helping new starters gain that important foothold in an expanding conservation sector and contribute to the vital work of nature recovery, Project Peewit offer the opportunity to gain the focussed experience and skills required to pursue a career in bird conservation.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk. All WWT staff will receive safeguarding training and must ensure that they comply with WWT’s safeguarding policy.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse organisation, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need talented people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side.

If you would like more information regarding the traineeships, please contact Aurora Gonzalo Tarodo at 07497606290 or at aurorag@wiltshirewildlife.org.

Closing Date: 9am on Tuesday 7^th January 2025

PLEASE NOTE: if interest is significant we reserve the option to close the vacancy early and conduct interviews on an as required basis. Should the vacancy remain open until the stated deadline then interviews will be held on Monday 20^th January 2025 at Elm Tree Court, Devizes.

     Traineeship start date:                          Monday 10th February 2025

Please submit your application to recruitment@wiltshirewildlife.org

(Please note we are only able to accept applications via our application form and when completing the form please ensure you use the ‘motivation’ section to evidence how you believe you meet the essential and desirable criteria detailed in the Job Description. This information will be used in our short-listing process).

As a charity Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Ltd is committed to saving costs.  Therefore, if you have not received an invitation to attend an interview within three weeks of the closing date, you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

A full job description and application pack is available to download below.