WILDLIFE lovers are being invited to help a bird charity in Dorset.

The RSPB is opening a new shop, café and wildlife garden next month, and needs volunteers to help run it.

The new facility is at Arne nature reserve.

Claire Young, spokesperson for the RSPB in Dorset, said: “We’re really excited to announce that our brand new shop, cafe and wildlife garden are taking shape and the building work is nearing completion. We are aiming to open in mid-March, so pencil a visit in your diaries for the Easter Holidays.

“We are now seeking a team of special volunteers who can help us make these new facilities a huge success. We want to build up a thriving, dynamic team of people to welcome our lovely visitors, help them to have a great experience and encourage them to come back time and time again. You don’t need any special skills to help, just enthusiasm, a friendly smile and a willingness to learn.

“We’re looking for volunteer cafe assistants, retail assistants and wildlife gardeners – so if you are enthusiastic, friendly and want to join our passionate team of staff and volunteers (or know someone who might), please get in touch on: Dorset.Volunteering@rspb.org.uk or call 01929 555983.”

The Arne shop and cafe building is on the site of the old toy museum at Arne nature reserve and has been designed with the local wildlife very firmly in mind – entrances for bats have been built into the actual structure of the shop and cafe, as well as a large loft space for bats to roost. We have also used bee bricks in the patio wall that will provide more habitats for our solitary bees.

Adjacent to the shop and cafe there is also a green space, which the RSPB will be converting into a wildlife garden with funding awarded to them by The Veolia Environmental Trust. The garden will attract a variety of wildlife to the site and will also be used to showcase to visitors how they can give nature a home in their own gardens too. The RSPB also hopes that the local community will use the space to meet-up socially.

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