Avian influenza, what do I do? If you find one dead bird of prey, 3 or more dead gulls or wild fowl, 5 or more dead birds of any species: MORE INFORMATION HERE
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Volunteering at WMBC
Your enthusiasm and skills can make all the difference at the West Midland Bird Club. Explore how you can contribute to our conservation efforts and the wider birder community.
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Why Volunteer
Volunteering with the West Midland Bird Club offers a chance to actively engage in preserving the natural beauty and diversity of birdlife in your area. It’s not just about giving back to the environment; it’s also a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, develop new skills, and experience the joy of making a tangible difference.
Every role, no matter the size, contributes significantly to our collective mission of bird conservation and community building.
Volunteering Work Parties
All our reserves host volunteer work parties that help maintain and enhance the habitat. From fixing up bird hides to sprucing up footpaths, our volunteers do it all. Whether you prefer weekend or midweek sessions, we’ve got you covered. We provide all the tools and gloves, so just bring yourself. It’s a fantastic way to meet fellow nature enthusiasts.
Fancy giving it a go? Just show up at any session advertised, or for more details, just get in touch!
Belvide
At Belvide there are regular volunteering work parties.
These can be week days or weekends and generally take place as the requirement for reserve management and time of year dictate.
If you are interested in helping out please get in touch and we will let you know when the next scheduled work parties will take place.
Enquiries to Sue Judge at
Ladywalk
Habitat Management Work - 9am second Monday of every month at Hide A. Occasional extra day after the breeding season.
Equipment is provided but please bring gloves if you have them.
Enquiries to Richard King at ladywalk@westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk
Harborne
At Harborne our volunteering day is Wednesday, starting at 10am and finishing usually before mid-day.
Sometimes there is enough work to warrant coming every week so in that case we attend every other Wednesday on an ad hoc basis.
Very occasionally, such as in December, there is enough work to warrant two or three days work per week. This is organised via a WhatsApp group.
Enquiries to Paul Bateman at
Open Volunteering Roles
Chair Person
Our Club Chairperson, Roger Broadbent, has indicated his desire to step down from the role at the AGM in April. We urgently need to find a successor.
A good knowledge of the Club and a good knowledge of the birds of the West Midlands – or an ability to rapidly acquire that knowledge – are also highly desirable.
If this role is of interest to you, please reach out to our club Secretary.
Area Representative
As the club continues to grow we are looking to have club members who can take on the role of an area representative - whether that is on a county level or more local than that.
We are flexible in what areas are covered but would welcome discussions with interested parties to discuss the role in more depth.
In general the area representatives would oversee member interests in their specific area such as reserve access and developments, working with the local reserve teams, dealing with any local PR activities and helping to attract new members to the club.
We also see this role as the first step in developing branches beyond Stafford and the area representative would be a key driver to this exciting development.
If this role is of interest to you, please reach out to our club Secretary.
If none of the options catch your eye, don’t worry - there’s always a way for you to get involved with our work. Feel free to reach out to our Secretary, Chairperson, or Deputy Chairperson.
We’re always open to having you help out in any way you can!
Join Us
Become a member
As a WMBC member, you get access to our reserves, invitations to indoor and outdoor birdwatching activities, our quarterly newsletter, and the annual bird report and much more. Enjoy bird photography, see rare species, and connect with fellow bird enthusiasts in our vibrant community.
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Practical Conservation
If you are the sort of person who likes to get stuck into practical outdoor tasks then this could be for you. All our reserves have volunteer work parties who maintain and improve the habitat. Tasks such as maintenance of bird hides and footpaths are also carried out by our volunteers.
At some reserves, work parties are organised at weekends, at others midweek sessions take place. All tools and gloves are provided. Joining one of our work parties is also a great way to meet like-minded members.
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Other Ways to Help
Not all work at our reserves is physical. Developments such as new hides, meetings, reserve annual development plans, running events, etc. all require administrative support.
Also, we’re always looking for volunteers to represent our reserves at the Club’s Executive Committee.
If you are interested in getting involved in this side of things get in touch to find how you can help.