Residential Trainee Warden x5

Residential Trainee Wardens – Flat Holm Island Nature Reserve

Flat Holm Island, Bristol Channel, near Cardiff, S Wales

Start dates available from 01/09/2015 until 28/02/2026 or longer

Flat Holm is a small 35 ha welsh island in the Severn Estuary/Bristol Channel just 5 miles from Cardiff Bay. The site is a Local Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest with a wealth of heritage including Scheduled Ancient Monuments and Listed Buildings. The island is manned most of the year round and welcomes visitors between March and October for day and overnight visits.

We are looking for up to 5 enthusiastic committed residential volunteers to join our team. You will work closely with the island Warden, carrying out important reserve monitoring work, managing heritage buildings and structures as well as providing good visitor experience e.g. guided tours, work parties etc during September/October 2025 and March 2026 onwards. Roles are based on 37 hours per week and work will take place in all weathers and can at times be challenging.

Residential trainee wardens will live and work on the island for a minimum commitment of six months. During this period, they may take up to three one-week leave breaks, with a travel expense contribution of up to £50 per trip to their home location. Individuals are responsible for covering the costs of accommodation when off island.

Tasks will include:

• Wildlife monitoring – collecting data and carrying out our monitoring programmes on moths, butterflies, shelduck, slow worms, wetland bird survey, daily bird log, gulls (some are dependent on the time of year)
• Practical reserve work and habitat management – coppicing elder, grassland and path management, invasive vegetation management, maintaining fences, gates, benches and other woodwork
• Visitor facing and community work – with volunteer work parties, provide guided tours for visitors, prepping and serving in the pub and shop, welcoming residential visitors incl cleaning and preparing accommodation (September/October 25 and from February 2026)
• Heritage work – maintaining heritage buildings through general DIY tasks e.g. cleaning, painting, general maintenance tasks
• Operational work – cleaning and maintaining the island operational and accommodation buildings, assisting with health and safety systems checks and procedures, daily duty tasks
• Machinery – maintaining tools and equipment, tractor and trailer driving and basic checks, mower and brush cutter use and basic maintenance, generator checks.

During the visitor season, basic self catering accommodation is provided in a WWII building called ‘Driftwood’ with 5 bedrooms, shared toilet, shower, food prep area and small dining area. Outside of the visitor season, accommodation is provided in either shared dormitories in the farmhouse with shared toilet/shower/kitchen/dining facilities or in individual basic portocabins with single bed and solar electricity, located in the farmhouse paddock, using shared facilities in the farmhouse. Individuals must be willing to share rooms.

Food is provided to enable trainees to prepare 3 meals a day, travel expense contribution of up to £50 per trip to their home location (max 3 trips), first aid training and Certified brushcutter/strimmer training as well as on the job training.

To find out more about Flat Holm Island visit www.cardiffharbour.com...