About Us

National Trust Volunteer (NTV) groups are independent, self-supporting groups of volunteers who carry out conservation projects for the National Trust.

Workdays are held on every first and third Sunday of the month. You come when you can spare the time.

Whilst the composition of the group changes over the years there is one interest common to all of us, which is a love of the countryside. Currently the team's ages range from thirteen to eighty. Our backgrounds are varied and from all walks of life. The number of people on a workday varies but averages out to between 10 and 15.

We try to build in as much variety as possible to our work programme. For example, over the past few years we have tackled all of the following tasks with varying degrees of success:-

Tree and hedge planting, pond creation and reclamation, fencing, path maintenance, scrub clearance, erosion control, fence painting, coppicing, removal of non-native plant species, and of course not forgetting surveys and wildlife monitoring.

We also regularly process the raw materials from our coppicing work to make charcoal and other wood products.

So you can see there is probably something to interest most people, and before you ask, if you want to learn dry stone walling Hampshire is not the county!

Each workday will usually start by meeting the National Trust ranger at a pre-arranged location at 10 o'clock, where he/she will explain the tasks for the day, giving us instructions of what needs to be done and how this fits in with their countryside management plan. Generally our tasks form just a small part of the overall conservation plan and giving us information about why we are carrying out a certain job enables us to have an insight into the big picture that is the conservation, preservation and management of the National Trust properties and estates.

Health and Safety issues of the work and the site will also be covered.

Tools to carry out the jobs are provided and a mid-morning break allowa a welcome cup of tea or coffee and a chocolate biscuit on the group!!

You just bring clothing to match the weather, strong boots or wellies, gloves and your lunch. The day usually ends about 3.30 to 4 o'clock depending on the time of year.

As our group name suggests there are a number of sites within our area where we work. Firstly, there is The Mottisfont Estate, which we regard as our "home" patch.

Then there is the New Forest Commons,(which includes Foxbury, Hale Purlieu and Rockford and Ibsley Commons) and Stockbridge Down & Marsh.

We also sometimes work at Curbridge Nature Reserve which is alongside the River Hamble.

Once a year we organise a weekend away to work on a National Trust property a little further from home. This is an opportunity to visit and work on sites we do not normally see.

NO not quite! We have a social programme where we hope to organise at least one social event per quarter. In the past these include pub evenings (thinly disguised as the AGM!) barbecues and guided walks as well as a 'Christmas' pub lunch. The rangers and staff team at Mottisfont also regularly invite us to events such as an anuual barbecue, hog roast and Christmas buffet to thank us for our efforts.