Volunteer of the Year awards

North Wales Wildlife Trust Volunteer of the Year is an award made at the Annual General Meeting to a volunteer who has, in the opinion of the Board, made an outstanding contribution to the success and progress of the Wildlife Trust in 2024-25.

Peter Scarll

This award has been given to Peter in recognition of all of the hard work that he has carried out at our Big Pool Wood nature reserve. Peter visits the nature reserve several times a week, sometimes daily, to fill the bird feeders and check over the bird hides. He engages with any visitors he meets on site and talks positively about the Trust. We have undoubtedly recruited new volunteers and members thanks to Peter’s warm welcome. Peter is of great assistance to NWWT staff – he regularly organises and manages our monthly practical conservation work parties on behalf of Paul Furnbourough, our Reserves Officer. He has been an incredible support to Helen Carter-Emsell at her wellbeing sessions which she runs at Big Pool Wood – always there to help set up and take down and provide a friendly face to the people taking part. In addition to his work on the ground, Peter also manages the Big Pool Wood Facebook and WhatsApp groups.

We are truly grateful for the significant contribution that Peter makes to our work at Big Pool Wood. Our nature reserve is a better place as a result of his hard work and dedication. He is a very deserving winner of our 2024-25 Volunteer of the Year. 

Richard Whitehurst

Richard began volunteering with North Wales Wildlife Trust back in 2023 and since that time he has become a really valuable member of the tree nursery volunteer team. Working with Sarah Ellis, our Tree Nursery Development Officer, Richard has developed, and still maintains, an advanced tree nursery inventory system. This has been a complex process due to the tree nurseries ever-changing and evolving nature. Richard is always happy to get involved with whatever work is needed. This might include potting up seedlings, weeding, seed gathering and watering - always with a smile and some corny jokes along the way! Richard is an incredibly hard worker and a joy to have in the team.

We are truly grateful for the significant contribution that Richard has made to our tree nursey work, and he is a very deserving winner of our 2024-25 Volunteer of the Year award. 

The North Wales Wildlife Trust Gold Badge is an award made at the Annual General Meeting to a member who has, in the opinion of the Board, made an outstanding contribution to the success and progress of the Wildlife Trust. 

Colin has been volunteering with North Wales Wildlife Trust since 2017. To date, he has given over 2000 hours of his time to help us with our work. Throughout this period, he has been volunteering on our nature reserves on Ynys Môn with our Reserves Officer, Matt Cole. He has done everything from heathland management at Mariandyrys; setting up nest boxes for migratory terns at Cemlyn; Spotted Rock-rose counts at Porth Diana and pony herding at Cors Goch. He is a man of many talents! His capacity for hard work is impressive but much to the relief of our other volunteers, he seems to have an inbuilt clock that tells him when it’s 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and time for a panad or amser cinio!

As well as volunteering out on our nature reserves, Colin, along with Sue Carter, is one of the key members of the Llys Garth gardening volunteer group. They meet once a month and since 2017, they have worked alongside Anna Williams and transformed the office jungle into what is now an extremely attractive wildlife friendly garden. Ponds have been created; meadows have been sown; a small woodland has been planted, and colourful cottage garden borders provide plentiful nectar and pollen for the hundreds of visiting pollinators. None of this would have been possible without the help of dedicated volunteers like Colin and we feel so lucky to have his support.

This award recognises and celebrates Colin’s huge contribution to our conservation work in Northwest Wales and it is very well deserved.

North Wales Wildlife Trust Volunteer Group of the Year is an award made at the Annual General Meeting to a group of volunteers who have, in the opinion of the Board, made an outstanding contribution to the success and progress of the Wildlife Trust in 2024-25.

NWWT Brenig Osprey Project volunteer team

In 2024-25, this amazing team of volunteers, comprised of 30 individuals, collectively gave up over 5500 hours of their time to support the Brenig Osprey Project.  Our volunteers come from all walks of life, and everyone has their own personal reason for wanting to contribute.  They all have one thing in common – they love nature and love to share that passion with other people.

As there is only one staff member, the Brenig Osprey Project could not function on a day-to-day basis without the input of these dedicated individuals. During the 2024 season, the volunteer team engaged with over 5,000 visitors at the Llyn Brenig osprey lookout. They took charge of the osprey hide and lookout on the Project Officer’s days off; helped with the upkeep and maintenance of the buildings; managed public events; provided information to the many visitors about the breeding pair of ospreys and their young; carried out recording and monitoring work; fundraised for the Brenig Osprey Project and enlisted new members for North Wales Wildlife Trust. We are truly grateful for all of their hard work.

They are a fantastic team of volunteers, and they are very deserving winners of our 2024-25 Volunteer Group of the Year.