Volunteers received Gold Badger's Paw awards for their dedication and commitment to Cumbria's wildlife © Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Nature heroes rewarded for helping Cumbria’s wildlife
Fifteen dedicated wildlife volunteers have been awarded a Gold Badger’s Paw
We recently awarded 15 volunteers with a Gold Badger’s Paw Award, in recognition of their tireless support for the county’s wildlife and wild places.
The Gold Badger's Paw is our long-standing volunteer award in recognition of outstanding contributions to Cumbria’s wildlife through volunteering. The ceremony was held at our recent Volunteer Gathering at The Brathay Trust on Windermere.
Ruth Alcroft, Volunteer Manager, Cumbria Wildlife Trust and event organiser said: “Meeting this year’s Gold Badger’s Paw recipients has been inspirational. So many of them have been working for nature for many, many years in such a huge variety of roles – not just the digging and planting you might expect, but from collecting data that has changed the way we do things, to mowing the grass on our smallest nature reserves, to winning hearts and minds in the way we educate people about conservation. It shows we can all make a difference, whatever our skills and interests.”
This year’s award winners were: Gareth Browning, Pete Burton, Matthew Cookson, Margaret Evans, Claire Gillham, Nigel Gilligan, Ian Grundy, Jackie Hooley, Joan Hunter, Alan Jackson, Dr John Lackie, Tony Mayo, Jackie Oglesby, Julia Sier and Sue Venfield.
Our huge thanks and congratulations to them all!
The Volunteer Gathering was a day of celebrations to thank the volunteers for their hard work. Around 600 people are actively involved with volunteering for us, in many different ways, from plug-planting, monitoring species and beach cleans, to office-based roles, including administration and marketing.
As well as meeting other volunteers, the attendees had the chance to try out whale boating on Windermere, as well as investigating the birds, flora and ferns, learning how to best use their phones for nature photography, and taking part in a book club in the lovely grounds at The Brathay Trust.
Whale boating on Windermere at the Volunteer Gathering 2024 © Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Notes
Gold Badger’s Paw Award Winners 2024
Gareth Browning has been a forester for 33 years, looking after the forests, mountains and rivers across north and west Cumbria. He’s been involved in nature recovery for 23 years and is a pioneer at Wild Ennerdale. He’s supported a natural process-led approach for over two decades. A highlight has been enabling Galloway cattle to extensively graze within a large forest area (c.1,500 ha, previously un-grazed for over a century). This has brought more diverse woodland and open fell, a greater species mix of scrub and young emerging woodland, and a return of birds such as green woodpecker, red grouse and breeding dipper. He’s hosted many visits for different audiences, written research papers and spoken at conferences about his experiences of learning to work alongside nature in Ennerdale.
Pete Burton was the Reserve Warden for Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve. He has dedicated his career and personal life to supporting coastal habitats, significantly contributing to data records and local research. He’s touched the lives of many through sharing his knowledge with the local community, organising walks and talks. He also spent time with local schools, taking them out onto the dunes to learn about wildlife. Pete continues to advocate for the dunes and local wildlife.
Matthew Cookson was recognised for his dedication to South Walney Nature Reserve, Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve and his commitment to supporting visitors and championing the ospreys. He’s one of a team of enthusiastic volunteers at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve who greet visitors and share with them the wonder of the ospreys that return there every summer, and enthuse about the other wildlife found at this popular wetland nature reserve.
Margaret Evans was recognised for her work as surveying volunteer for hay meadows, for over 10 years. Margaret has also acted as Honorary Reserve Manager for Barkbooth Lot Nature Reserve.
Claire Gillham formerly worked for Natural England. She has been a longstanding volunteer with Cumbria Wildlife Trust and was involved in many botanical survey projects over the years. She also volunteers with South Cumbria Rivers Trust, controlling the invasive plant Himalayan balsam. She has been surveying hay meadows since 2013, done meadow restoration plug-planting and has helped with tree planting in Staveley Woodlands. She is also Honorary Reserve Manager for Dorothy Farrer’s Spring Wood, part of Staveley Woodlands.
Nigel Gilligan has a particular interest and expertise in insects, with a special focus on bumblebees. He does excellent macrophotography which he shares with audiences at talks and presentations. He’s rarely seen outdoors without a long-lens camera around his neck and is never happier than when focusing his camera on something small on a flower or leaf! Nigel pays great attention to detail and has a talent for spotting little creatures which often go unnoticed. His passion is for formally recording them all. He became chairman of Duddon Local Support Group in 2021.
Ian Grundy is a dedicated volunteer who has sacrificed many a wet Monday morning to help at Witherslack mosses, tackling rhododendrons with bog-filled wellies but always with a smile, and he brings such a joy to the group. Ian always looks out for new volunteers and has been very helpful for new staff, sharing his knowledge after years of hard work and volunteering.
Jackie Hooley is a long-standing member of the Sedbergh Local Support Group and has been Secretary of the group since 2012. Jackie has also been a meadow surveyor and a pollinator recorder. She’s done data analysis work on grasslands and is an expert at Geographic Information System mapping.
Joan Hunter is a great all-round naturalist. She does meadow surveys for Cumbria Wildlife Trust as well as breeding bird surveys for Lancashire Wildlife Trust and bumblebee walks. She has been surveying hay meadows for Cumbria Wildlife Trust since 2013 and has also done meadow restoration plug-planting.
Alan Jackson is one of many dedicated volunteers that regularly attend wildflower plug-planting events. Alan has a passion for many things, in particular insects, sharing his knowledge and reading materials. He’s always one of the first volunteers to arrive and one of the last to leave, helping to unload and re-load the vehicle with equipment. When new volunteers come to Bowber Head Farm Nature Reserve, Alan is often seen paired up with them and always in conversation, and those that partner up with Alan always come away cheerier than when they arrived.
Dr John Lackie has volunteered across Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s northern nature reserves for many years. He was an important part of the team that built over 700m of boardwalk at Drumburgh Moss Nature Reserve, which took a lot of time and effort and has made the site much more accessible through the creation of a circular route. He’s a veteran of countless days of scrub clearance to maintain and enhance species rich grassland. John has made benches for the Cumbria Wildlife Trust northern office at Gosling Sike and has helped to build dozens of structures across several nature reserves. He’s been part of a friendly core group that has always been very welcoming to new volunteers and shared his experience and knowledge (particularly on geology) with other volunteers and staff.
Tony Mayo is a stalwart at South Walney Nature Reserve, a committee member of Ulverston Local Support Group and has been a champion for Lowick Common Nature Reserve.
Jackie Oglesby is a very long-standing volunteer with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, who has been involved in many botanical survey projects over the years. She has been Honorary Reserve Manager for Newton Reigny Nature Reserve for 11 years, has been involved with a wide range of Cumbria Wildlife Trust projects including work on juniper, Wildlife in Sacred Places, hay meadow restoration and most recently Fellfoot Forward, a landscape partnership scheme in the North Pennines.
Julia Sier was recognised for her contribution to species conservation across Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves and beyond. This includes growing and planting, butterfly habitat survey and management, with the restoration of Duke of Burgundy at Whitbarrow Nature Reserve, and her work as Honorary Reserve Manager of Barkbooth Lot Nature Reserve and on the Back on Our Map (BOOM) species reintroduction project.
Sue Venfield has taken part in huge number of Cumbria Wildlife Trust conservation work parties, including at Latterbarrow, Hutton Roof, Foulshaw Moss and the Witherslack Mosses, Staveley Woodlands, Howe Ridding Wood, and Bowber Head Farm nature reserves. She also carries out plug-planting on grasslands and is treasurer of Kendal Local Support Group.