Experience the world-class wetland habitat at Martin Mere and enhance your skills with our Practical Reserve Placement.

Every year we are pleased to offer a rare opportunity to gain excellent practical experience at our fabulous wetland sites by offering placements.

These opportunities are ideal for students currently on an undergraduate degree course who are looking for a sandwich year. However, they are also open to graduates or non-students who are looking to gain practical experience.

Practical Reserve Placement at Martin Mere
A year at Martin Mere Wetland Centre as a Practical Reserve Placement is varied, with no two days the same. We survey everything including WeBS, BBS, nest surveys, butterflies, dragonflies and NVC surveys. We also ring wildfowl, gulls, waders, terns, owls and passerines.

Most of the placement involves practical habitat management which includes cutting scrub regrowth in the reedbed, reed cutting, balsam pulling, and ragwort pulling.

We provide lots of training both certified and on the job. Certified includes Brushcutter, First aid at Work, Water safety, 4x4, tractor and ATV. On-the-job training includes carpentry, species identification, small tools, health and safety, and leading guided walks and talks.

View full details and apply here. The deadline is 28 June 2023.

Accommodation
We provide on site accommodation throughout your work placement. The accommodation is overlooking the main lake which has a beautiful view of swans and geese in the winter and gulls and waders in the summer.

Why Martin Mere?
Our site at Martin Mere has 600 acres of amazing wetland habitat. Over 2,000 different species of birds, mammals, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mini-beasts live in and around the mere which gives the site its name.

But what makes Martin Mere truly world-class are the many thousands of migrant wild ducks, geese, waders and swans which overwinter at this Ramsar-rated marshland and especially the spectacular displays of feather and flight provided by huge migrant flocks of pink-footed geese, wigeon and whooper swans.

Ready to get started? Apply via our website