The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales is recruiting a Living Seas Education Volunteer to join our Living Seas volunteer team at Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre throughout the 2018 field season (12th March to 5th November 2018).

About CBMWC

The Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre is based in New Quay, west Wales, UK. Since 1996 we have been dedicated to raising awareness of the local marine environment through research and education. Using boat-based and land-based surveys techniques, photo-identification and acoustic studies we collect data on marine megafauna, with a focus on bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises and Atlantic grey seals in the Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the wider Irish Sea. We operate a busy visitor centre and also run an education and activity room which offers marine educational activities for families, school and groups. In April 2015 we became part of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and we deliver the Trusts Living Seas programme.

What You Will Gain:

Volunteering for the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales at CBMWC is a fantastic opportunity for you to make a positive contribution to marine wildlife conservation and gain valuable experience in environmental education. You will also meet new people who share your interests, learn about the species and habitats in Cardigan Bay and experience Wales’ marine life. Past volunteers have gone on to further education, work as MMO’s and work for other conservation organisations.

The volunteer programme at CBMWC has received national recognition after achieving the Investing in Volunteers Award (IiV), the UK’s quality standard for volunteer management, in January 2017. We provide a fantastic volunteer experience!

Overall purpose of the role:

Assist with the delivery of our Living Seas community engagement and education objectives.

Volunteer responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Developing and promoting a range of educational activities for 2018
• Delivering education activities such as Seashore Safaris and Dolphin Detective Sessions
• Providing talks and activities to visiting groups and schools
• Organising and promoting events for National Marine Week
• Representing the centre and WTSWW at external events
• Providing engaging content for CBMWC social media and the Adopt a Dolphin scheme
• Outside of the school holidays you will assist with other volunteer activities such as land and boat based marine mammal surveys, running our visitor centre, entering data and conducting beach cleans.

As the volunteering role will involve working with children and vulnerable adults you will be subject to a DBS check.

Volunteer Skills/Qualities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience of working with children and families
• Experience in delivering educational activities
• Enthusiastic, conscientious and hard working
• Proactive with ability to work unsupervised
• Responsible, flexible and mature attitude
• Ability to work and live closely with others as part of a small team

Desirable skills:

• A knowledge of British marine life would be an advantage
• Experience of using social media and WordPress

Volunteering Dates:

The successful applicants must be available to start on 12th March and volunteer for the entire field season until 5th November.