Making a Buzz for the Coast

Application Pack

Making a Buzz for the Coast

Conservation Officer

Advertised March 2018

Contents

• Job Advert
• About Bumblebee Conservation Trust
• Making a Buzz for the Coast Project Information
• Job description
• Person specification
• Summary of terms and conditions of employment
• Recruitment and selection process
• How to Apply
• Application Form
• Equal Opportunities Form
  

Job Advert

Making a Buzz for the Coast,

Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Beta CentreStirling University Innovation ParkStirling FK9 4NF

Tel: 01786 594133

Closing Date:

About Bumblebee Conservation Trust

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is a UK-based national charity (England & Wales 1115634, Scotland SC042830) and a Company Limited by Guarantee (No. 05618710). The Trust was established in May 2006 in response to ongoing declines in many bumblebee species, due primarily to habitat loss through agricultural intensification. In the last 70 years two species have become nationally extinct whilst populations of several others have crashed dramatically. Over one third of social bumblebee species are now regarded as species of principal importance under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. Bumblebees are ‘keystone’ pollinators, integral to our natural environment, and providing significant economic benefits through pollination of crops. We aim to help bumblebees and the habitats that they depend on through conservation and education. For more information about our work, visit our website

Making a Buzz for the Coast

Project Information

Making a Buzz for the Coast is an exciting and ambitious new project that spans 135 miles of Kent’s coastline from Dartford to Deal, and focus on restoring and creating habitat for Kent’s wild bees, especially the Shrill carder bee. Thanks to the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has committed to funding 70% of the £1.3 million project budget, and the support of a variety of other Charitable Trusts and supporters who are providing the match funding, the project started at the end of 2017.

The project is divided into three themes:

1) Providing habitat - Provide habitat for Kent’s wild bees, with particular focus on priority species including the Shrill carder bee – the UK’s rarest and most threatened bumblebee species.

2) Understanding populations - Monitor bumblebee populations in order to guide our conservation work.

3) Engaging communities - Raise awareness about bumblebees and other pollinators, the benefits they provide and what can be done to help them, inspiring individual action.

Each of the three themes is then divided into seven interlinking strands:

Theme 1 – Providing habitat

Strand 1 - Habitat Works and Practical Conservation, works with partners and volunteers on five sites to increase pollinator habitat on nature reserves, commercial and local authority land. Habitat works include grassland restoration; sowing wildflowers to increase forage; adjustment of cutting and grazing regimes; rotational scrub management; and creation of solitary bee nest sites. We will install interpretation boards to raise awareness and knowledge of local bee species.

Strand 2 - Bee-Roads, restores roadside verges in the borough of Swale into flower-rich habitats for priority bee species (and provides habitat connectivity as described above) through sensitive management. This strand is led by Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT) in partnership with KCC Highways and Swale Borough Council, who have pledged long term commitment to maintaining the sites.

Strand 3 - Landowner Engagement and Advice, targets farmers and fruit producers, the Environment Agency (EA), and new audiences like holiday parks, golf courses and parish councils to help them restore and create bee-friendly habitat along the coast, working closely with Natural England. Farm days, workshops and specialist advice including management plans will be followed by ongoing support (regular site visits, monitoring). The Short-haired bumblebee project has shown us that this model of concentrated work at a landscape-scale is highly effective.

Theme 2 – Understanding populations

Strand 4 - Bee With Us, is the central hub of the project: the recruitment, training and supporting of volunteers,plays a vital role in all seven work strands. Each project year, the project hosts three trainee placements (following KWT’s highly successful model) for those pursuing a career in conservation: Conservation Trainee, Bumblebee Monitoring Trainee and Bee-Roads Trainee. Two Local Volunteer Coordinators will also be recruited, trained and supported in coordinating other volunteers’ activities. All volunteers will receive thorough induction and training. Opportunities for volunteers are offered in every strand of work, so there is something to appeal to everyone at every level of skill and knowledge.

Strand 5 - Skills for Bees, recruits and train local volunteers to undertake regular bee surveys as part of BBCT's national recording scheme, Bee Walk, monitoring population densities of rare and common bumblebees along the coast. This strand will create experts in rare species, which Bee Walk does not currently do, through a staged training programme (beginners to advanced), a mentoring scheme and ongoing support to help volunteers and ensure all data are verified.

Theme 3 – Engaging communities

Strand 6 - Buzzing Communities, enables local community groups, schools and businesses to learn about and take action for bees, raising awareness about their importance through guided walks, talks, competitions (schools, photography, art and poetry), exhibits, many other volunteer-led events and a quarterly e-newsletter. We create a range of leaflets, display materials and activity sheets to inspire and inform people about Kent’s bees.

Strand 7 - Buzzing Gardens, highlights the importance of gardens for bees and other pollinators and help schools, community groups, local businesses, councils and individuals to garden for bees. It includes events (e.g. bee-friendly gardening ‘clinics’ at community events; talks; open gardens); workshops (covering seed propagation, wildflower meadow creation, and including outreach workshops for garden centre employees); leaflets (‘bee friendly on a budget’; advanced gardening-for-bees information) and volunteer advisers providing bespoke garden advice. An annual Garden with Best Buzz competition is held as part of KWT’s Wild About Gardens scheme, culminating in an exciting new ‘Neighbourhood with the Best Buzz’ competition in year 3. We will provide an online forum for people to share bee-friendly gardening tips and questions.

Our aim is to secure a future for the Kent coast’s wild bees in which they not just survive but thrive.

Making a Buzz for the Coast does this by mobilising the people of Kent to take action to protect their wild bees; building a greater understanding of bee populations and creating habitats for some of our rarest bumblebees.

Job Description

Job Title: Making a Buzz for the Coast Conservation Officer

Reporting to: Making a Buzz Project Manager

Responsible for:

• One Conservation Volunteer Trainee per year of the project.
• Conservation volunteers.

Hours: Part-time (28 hours per week), based in the project office in Kent Science Park, North Kent). Fixed-term 2,5 year contract.

Job purpose:

• The delivery of the Making a Buzz for the Coast habitat creation/restoration and landowner advice targets.

Main responsibilities:

Habitat provision and landowner advice

• Provide advice and support to partner organisations to ensure the successful and timely delivery of Action Plans on Strand 1 sites.
• Secure delivery of Action Plans on Strand 1 sites, including practical management tasks such as wildflower planting, seed harvesting, scrub clearance.
• Carry out regular monitoring of habitat and bumblebee species on Strand 1 sites.
• Develop content for interpretation boards for Strand 1 sites (in liaison with partners).
• Provide land management advice and support to landowners, including farm visits, surveys, advisory reports and ongoing support – working closely with Natural England.
• Deliver landowner engagement events (e.g. farm days, training workshops, stalls and talks) targeted at different landowner groups.
• Lead on the development of case studies showcasing the successes of the project.
• Lead on the development of two new titles in BBCT’s ‘Managing your land for bumblebees’ factsheet series.
• Keep up to date records of habitat and landowner work, including the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Trainee/ volunteer management

• Assist with the recruitment and induction of the Conservation Trainee position each year.
• Manage the day-to-day work and training programme of the Conservation Trainee each year.
• Deliver training to conservation volunteers e.g. habitat monitoring.
• Assist in the delivery of bumblebee identification workshops and field sessions, including personally delivering the beginner level training courses.
• Co-ordinate and lead volunteer work parties on Strand 1 sites, including health and safety briefings.
• Assist in the establishment of volunteer Friends groups for Strand 1 sites, in liaison with partners.

General

• Take an active role in BBCT’s Conservation and Science Team, attending team meetings and contributing to wider BBCT conservation work as required.
• Carry out your duties with regard to relevant legislation and BBCT’s policies and procedures including health and safety and fundraising regulations.

Person Specification

• Direct relevant experience of habitat conservation and management.
• An environmental, ecological or agricultural degree, or equivalent knowledge acquired by other means.
• Experience of providing advise to farmers and other land managers, and a good understanding of agricultural issues including agri-environment schemes.
• Experience of developing working relationships with farmers, landowners and other NGOs
• Experience of working with, and/or management of, volunteers.
• Knowledge of pollinator ecology and basic bumblebee identification skills.
• Good field and botanical skills including the ability to identify key bumblebee forage plants.

• Proven experience of engaging people including delivering talks, training courses and other events.
• Ability to build effective relationships with farmers, landowners and other NGOs.
• Excellent communication skills, with good negotiation skills.

• Ability to self-motivate and willingness to work remotely.

• Computer literate including confident use of MS Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge and experience of using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) such as ArcGIS or QGIS.

• Full driving licence and access to own vehicle for work use with a willingness to travel to meetings and sites within the designated working area as well as occasional long-distance trips within the UK.
• Willingness to work some weekends and evenings, with overnight stays away from home on occasion.

• Experience of leading volunteer work parties.
• Good bumblebee identification skills and experience of bumblebee surveying.
• Good working knowledge of the current Agri-Environment schemes.
• Experience of grassland conservation and management.
• Direct, relevant experience of habitat restoration and creation.
• Experience of working effectively in partnership with other organisations.
• An understanding of the English National Pollinator Strategy.
• Good budgeting skills and experience.

Summary of terms and conditions of employment

Terms and conditions: This is a part-time, two and a half year fixed term post.

Salary: £23,000 per annum (pro rata)

Pension: This fixed term post is eligible for the BBCT pension scheme (7% Employer contribution).

Location: Based in the project office in North Kent (Kent Science Park).

Hours of work: The post holder will be employed part-time for 28 hours per week. Some overtime work may be required and a flexitime system is in place.

Annual leave: Annual entitlement of 35 days (on a pro rata basis for part-time staff) inclusive of Bank/Public Holidays.

Policies and procedures: We have policies designed to ensure the safety and well-being of both workers and volunteers e.g. health and safety, lone working.

Recruitment and Selection Process

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer. This means that when carrying out our work and in the employment of staff to undertake this work, we will seek to ensure equality of treatment for all persons regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, marital status, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or economic status.

Pre-employment checks:

We will require a minimum of two appropriate references and will check original documents proving your qualifications, identity, and right to live and work in the UK before you can start work with us.

You will be asked to provide details of any unspent criminal convictions.

References:

Referees should be your present and last employer. They should have had either managerial or supervisory responsibility for your work, and not be colleagues, subordinates or friends. Where appropriate (i.e. when this is your first employment), a tutor’s reference and a personal reference or similar will be acceptable.

Referees will be provided with a copy of the job description and person specification for the vacancy.

BBCT will only approach your referees once an offer of employment has been made.

How we use your personal information:

The information which we gather from you during the recruitment and selection process is retained and processed in accordance with the provisions set out by the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA).

Please note that by submitting an application for employment, you are also agreeing to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust processing such information as may be necessary to assess your application, provided that proper regard is had to the data protection principles in force.

If your application is successful, the information you provide will be retained and will form part of your personnel file. If you are not offered work with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, all documentation related to your application will normally be confidentially destroyed after a period of six months.

How to Apply

If you are interested in joining us, please complete the application form below and return by email to no later than 5pm, Tuesday 3 April.

In order to ensure that all applicants are assessed equally and fairly, applications will only be accepted on the form provided. Please do not send CVs.

Interviews are expected to take place on Friday 13th April in Kent Science Park, Kent.

Application Form

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

• I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, the information on this form is correct.
• I accept that if any of the enclosed information is found to be untrue after my appointment, I may be liable for dismissal without notice.
• I authorise you to contact the references listed on this form and make any other checks deemed appropriate once an offer of employment is made.
• I am aware that the information given will be processed and stored by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and I have the right to view any personal data held about me (upon written request and payment of an administration fee).

Please also complete and return the separate Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form below.