Salary: £21,729 pa pro rata (pensionable)
Closing date: Monday 14th May 2012
Location: Lower House Farm, Ledbury Road, Tupsley, Hereford, HR1 1UT
The Project Officer will work to raise local awareness of the importance of ponds, their history and networks in the east of the county through public events, school visits, production of an education pack and pond surveys.
Post title: Pond Network Project Officer
Responsible to: Conservation Manager, HNT and Chairman HART
Hours: 3 days per week with some evenings and weekends
Status: Part-time, fixed-term appointment for 18 months
Salary: £21,729 per annum pro rata (pensionable)
As this post involves significant contact with children, employment will be subject to a successful Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check. A copy of the Trust’s Criminal Records Checking (Disclosure) Policy and its Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy is attached for information. A copy of the Criminal Records Bureau’s Code of Practice is also available, on request.
Overall Aim of the Project
The overall aim of the project is to raise public awareness in the parishes in the region from Colwall to Bromyard of ponds: their habitat value and wildlife diversity, and the history of their use over the centuries, and to identify new ponds or ponds needing restoration which would enhance the pond network in the region between the two special wildlife areas: the Malvern Hills AONB and Bromyard Down. The project would also promote good management and restoration of existing ponds and encourage people to build new ponds.
In particular, the project will:
• work with local people developing maps of existing and past ponds in their parish;
• visit up to 14 schools in the project area. The visits will include talks to the children, and where possible pond dipping in the school pond or if practical nearby accessible ponds;
• create resources to be given to schools: ie an Education Pack and posters;
• produce displays, digital presentations and information for roadshows for the communities, including engaging activities for the children and their parents and friends;
• create one information leaflet to describe the project aims and attract active public involvement in the consultation and services offered;
• run up to 4 WildPlay events in the project area;
• run at least 3 Pond Celebration events
• run up to 4 species identification and pond surveying training events and encourage people to record the species they see;
• the project will create pages on the HNT and HART websites publicizing the project and providing information to help the public and volunteers, including recording forms on line;
• offer free surveys of up to 40 pond sites in the project area, encouraging volunteer involvement, and providing all records collected to the Herefordshire Biological Records Centre (HBRC);
• identify up to 15 ponds which need to be restored or created to enhance the pond network, and create a Project Proposal to specific funding agencies for funds for this.
• Produce, in conjunction with The Archaeology Department, reports on the regions ponds identified in the consultation process
Main duties of the post
The role of the Project Officer will be to manage the delivery of the whole project and specifically:
• to develop the information and presentation resources needed for the project, liaising with key partners including the Archaeology Department of Herefordshire Council and the Herefordshire Biological Records Centre;
• to set up a roadshow programme in the project’s selected areas;
• to undertake community consultation and a public awareness programme in each area including meetings and outdoor events;
• to undertake the schools visiting programme;
• to set up a training programme and arrange for the necessary specialist consultant support for the courses;
• to liaise with the landowners prior to developing a survey programme for the chosen sites;
• to survey the sites and ensure the work is professionally supervised to meet all health and safety requirements and herpetological guidelines, including setting and maintaining a standard survey approach;
• to encourage local pond support groups and provide on-going support to them as they undertake surveying locally;
• to ensure all records are properly recorded, filed and copied to the Herefordshire Biological Records Centre;
• to set up and monitor a project evaluation and feedback process to meet the partners and HLF needs
• to arrange all project administration including financial reporting, volunteer time sheets, claims to the funders and reports to BARS and the Steering Group;
• to keep records, written, financial and photographic in order to promote the project, its sponsors and funders.
• Organise closure and archiving of project data at end of project.
Other duties
The post holder will be required to:
• Undertake health and safety duties commensurate with the post and as detailed in the Trust's Health and Safety policy;
• Maintain personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job and participate in appropriate training activities;
• Present a positive image of the Herefordshire Nature Trust and the Herefordshire Amphibian and Reptile Team and their funding partners, as well as maintaining constructive relationships with other organisations;
• Undertake such other duties, training and/or hours of work as may be reasonably required, and which are consistent with the general level of responsibility of this job.
Contact details:
Details: send a £1.20p stamped A4 Envelope to Herefordshire Nature Trust, Lower House Farm, Ledbury Road, Tupsley, Hereford HR1 1UT
For an informal conversation about the post please contact Francesca Griffith on 01432 356872
Further details and an application form are available on the Trust website - www.herefordshirewt.org