The Youth Rangers of the Fens is a fantastic new group for 11-17 year olds who love nature. We will meet throughout the year to take part in interesting wildlife and conservation-based activities at nature reserves in Cambridgeshire. From helping with habitat management to conducting wildlife surveys, Youth Rangers are able to make a positive difference to their local environment, gain new skills and discover local wildlife.

Our first session took place on a chilly but dry Saturday in January at Dogsthorpe Star Pit Nature Reserve in Peterborough. We were joined by some enthusiastic young people who helped with important habitat management by carrying out scrub clearance. This meant learning to safely use tools such as loppers, bow saws and secateurs to effectively cut back and remove young bushes and saplings. If left, these may damage a much rarer habitat through shading and changing soil conditions.

The Youth Rangers also enjoyed meeting the site’s Volunteer Warden who led a short walk around this beautiful site and provided fascinating stories about the wildlife and history of Dogsthorpe Star Pit. During the break, they took part in some bird identification using binoculars whilst enjoying some well-earned biscuits and hot chocolate.

We are busy planning the rest of the sessions for 2023 and would love for you to join us! Future sessions this spring and summer will include conducting wildlife surveys for wildflowers and water voles. The next session will be in March with details of location and tasks to be confirmed. If you'd be interested in taking part, please get in touch and we can forward event details as soon as they are arranged. Please note, these sessions are designed for participants to attend independently, so once an adult has signed the young person in, they can be left in our care until collection. These events are free to attend and volunteering experience can be both incredibly rewarding and really help college and university applications shine! We look forward to meeting lots more new faces in March.