National Trust volunteer elected to honorary membership (From Dorset Echo)

National Trust volunteer elected to honorary membership

1:30pm Monday 31st December 2012 in News

VOLUNTEER John Newbould, who has been helping the National Trust’s West Dorset team for nine years, has been elected to honorary membership of the National Biodiversity Network.

The honour recognises John’s 40 years of commitment to ecological monitoring and recording.

He has also volunteered on the Purbeck Estate in Dorset and at Malham and Upper Warfedale in Yorkshire.

John is only the second volunteer to have received the honour.

His favourite site is the Golden Cap Estate, where, for the last nine years, he has helped record wildlife and write conservation plans to benefit wildlife.

He also has a team of half a dozen volunteers, all with their own specialism in terms of wildlife recording.

John has given guided walks, talks and attended local shows to promote the wildlife on the sites and the work done to protect it.

Robert Rhodes, National Trust countryside manager for West Dorset, said: “I am really pleased for John, he does a tremendous amount of work for us and this honour recognises that.

“He is a really important member of our team and his enthusiasm for conservation and wildlife knows no bounds.”

More information on volunteering at the National Trust is available on nationaltrust.org.uk/get-involved/ volunteer