Volunteer

The nature reserve depends on a big team of volunteers for the success that we have achieved. Contact Us if you would like to help. There are 3 main types of volunteering.

Workparties

A lot of practical work is done on our workparties. Why not come along on the first and third Tuesday of every month. The workparties are led by Sam or Chris. You can help with the practical management of the Nature Reserve, finding places and wildlife that you may not otherwise see. Meet at Rye Harbour car park at 10am, return about 3pm. Bring old, warm clothing, work gloves, boots, lunch, a hot drink and a good sense of humour. Tasks include:

• weeding islands for nesting seabirds;
• building up islands to increase area for nesting birds;
• planting reeds to establish reedbeds;
• cutting willows to maintain reedbeds;
• collecting litter blown in from the sea;
• removing Ragwort to maintain grassland;
• maintaining footpaths and fences…

Tern Watch

From May to July we have a team of volunteers who help the wardens to keep a constant watch over the reserve to help safeguard the nesting birds and also to give information to visitors. Volunters are based at a caravan on the shore for 3 or 4 hours overlooking the Little Tern colony.

Information Centre

We try to open Lime Kiln Cottage from 10am to 5pm every day to provide information to visitors and sell them a few things. It is a small, but friendly place that introduced 16,000 visitors to the nature reserve, last year.