A new Conservation Ranger is in post on the Sharpham Estate.
Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Funding, Phil Wilson is now working for Ambios Ltd, partners with The Sharpham Trust on our joint rewilding project Wild For People.
He is running sessions with volunteers out on the land we're rewilding at Home Farm, working on practical things like replacing tree guards and building fences, plus he's also playing a part in recording species on the land, such as dormice, reptiles and conducting pollinator surveys.
Throughout all the activities he shares his knowledge of the natural world - gained in a lifetime of loving plants and animals and through his zoology degree.
Said Phil: "I enjoy teaching about the wildlife but I also love experiencing it and learning about it for myself, then mixing that in with practical elements. It means you're doing and learning and teaching - and that's a winning triad for me".
Phil was already familiar with Ambios Ltd - the nature conservation training company that is the Trust's partner in the Wild for People project to rewild 50-acres of conventional farmland.
Phil's an integral part of our rewilding
He's volunteered and worked there before applying for, and landing, the job as Conservation Ranger. He also did some work up at The Trust's Woodland Retreat campsite, so he's familiar with what happens on the Sharpham Estate.
"Just hearing about the retreats you run and by forming this rewilding partnership Wild For People, the ethos [of The Trust] is one that I connect with. It's definitely very positive for people and for nature, obviously," he said.
Now Phil is an integral part of the project. "I pinned a lot of my hope on this job...this is such a pioneering and wonderful opportunity.
"This is really what I want to be doing and where I want to be...I'm thrilled, I'm excited, I'm hopeful," he said. "Now I'm part of a project which not only gives me hope for personal aspirations, for personal growth, but also for nature."
He added: "I love living and working on the land and being part of it. On a global perspective, we're only 50 acres right now, but who knows where we'll be in a few years' time and how much land we'll be able to help. There's real hope."
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