Conservation volunteers at Weston Turville Reservoir by Gill Cornelius, winner of the 'People in Nature' category in last year's photography competition.
Two nature-loving volunteers have been given Lifetime Achievement Awards for their long-term work helping birds and other wildlife.
John Melling and Graeme Stewart were honoured by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) at its 2024 Volunteer Awards.
The charity also presented eight Outstanding Contribution Awards, three group awards and its first-ever Outstanding Contribution by a Young Volunteer Award.
John Melling and Graeme Stewart, winners of the Lifetime Achievement Awards 2024
Lifetime Achievement Awards
John Melling has helped monitor birds at BBOWT’s Chimney Meadows nature reserve since 2004. He has walked along a bird transect on a monthly basis over those twenty years, with the information gathered allowing the Reserve and Ecology teams to better understand the bird life at Chimney Meadows and informing the management work on site. John was also a member of the Friends of Chimney work party, which involved maintenance activities such as hedge planting and installing gateposts.
Colin Williams, Senior Ecologist at BBOWT, said:
"I first met John when I started at the Trust back in 2008, and he had already been volunteering for several years before that. He has been a permanent feature at Chimney Meadows for twenty years now, and he’s still going strong. John is a first-class birdwatcher with huge amounts of knowledge and fantastic field skills.
"We’ve been lucky that he has been part of our reserves monitoring programme, and the impact of the data he has accumulated on site is an excellent example of evidence-based conservation work. Very many thanks from the Ecology team, the Chimney team, and everyone at BBOWT. This award is richly deserved – congratulations."
John Melling said:
“As one of BBOWT’s army of volunteer recorders, I was delighted to find the contribution of the Trust’s survey team recognised publicly. Colin Williams does a great job coordinating our surveys across all reserves. The quiet (apart from the occasional hum from the traffic on the A420) makes Chimney Meadows a great place to record the changing bird life against a background of willows, water and meadows.”
Graeme Stewart has been taking weekly counts of the birds around the lake at BBOWT’s Nature Discovery Centre in Thatcham for the last 23 years. The data gathered has contributed toward both the local and national trends for these populations. Graeme also leads bird walks on sites such as Greenham Common and Thatcham Reedbeds, and there have been over 500 bookings for his walks since 2020 alone.
Roger Stace, Senior Land Manager at BBOWT, said:
"Having been on Graeme’s walks myself a number of times, I have first-hand experience of just how much enthusiasm and expertise he has. Beginners and experts alike are all welcome, and everyone comes away having learned something new. His bird counts have not only provided invaluable data for monitoring populations, but the results get posted at the centre so that visitors can always see what’s been sighted recently. A huge thank you to Graeme for all your hard work, dedication, and expertise. You’ve thoroughly deserved this award."
Graeme Stewart said:
“It was much to my amazement and surprise to read an email from Chief Executive Estelle Bailey informing me that I was going to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for doing something I enjoy. I am honoured - thank you.
“I have led monthly walks on Greenham Common and at the Nature Discovery Centre since 2001, and an added bonus for me is that I do my own weekly walks around the centre to record the birds I see and submit the findings. It is always a pleasure to lead walks and to have the opportunity to input what I have learnt about birds and bird watching over the years. It is a great joy to share knowledge, encourage others and interact with them.”
Outstanding Contribution by a Young Volunteer Award
This year, BBOWT introduced its first-ever Outstanding Contribution by a Young Volunteer Award. The award was given to 21-year-old Connie Butler, a volunteer with the Young Rangers (8 to 12 years) and Teen Rangers (12 to 16 years) groups which teach children and teenagers about the natural world and encourage them to look after local wild spaces.
Anne Jackson, Learning Officer at BBOWT’s Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre said:
“Connie has been with us for the whole two years since we started our Rangers groups here at Sutton Courtenay. She’s been really reliable in her support and she’s absolutely amazing with the children. The consistency of her presence is so important, especially for a number of our children who attend who are neurodiverse. We really couldn’t do it without you, Connie.”
Connie Butler said:
“I love doing this every month. I generally see the same kids so I get to know them, what they’ve been up to recently, and the things that they like to do at school (and what they don’t!) I just love teaching them about nature and getting them outside to enjoy what there is close to their home.”
Outstanding Contribution Awards
Sheila Bailey has been a driving force behind the 'Friends of Letcombe Valley' group since its inception in 2010, encouraging people to cherish their local chalk stream that runs through the reserve. Sheila has also been instrumental in the group’s annual Discovery Days, which showcase local wildlife to visitors with lots of activities, and raise funds for BBOWT.
Graham Breadmore is a key volunteer for Loddon Nature Reserve in Berkshire. He volunteers with weekly and monthly groups and encourages everyone to get stuck into the tasks by explaining the impact they’ll have for the reserve. He always finds the time to point out any grass snakes or interesting birds and plants he's spotted too.
John Grundy has volunteered as a reliable and dedicated stock checker in West Oxfordshire for at least 15 years, looking after BBOWT’s livestock at Chimney Meadows, Parsonage Moor and other sites. John comes out in all weathers, helps with feeding hay throughout winter, moving animals during flooding, and getting them penned up for treatments.
Mike Juniper volunteers with the Pitstone Fen work parties and a few years ago he stepped up to become the group leader which allowed the group to continue on a regular monthly basis. Mike strives to ensure his volunteers have the best experience while carrying out the management of the reserve to a good standard.
Steve Keene has been part of the Reserves Surveying Programme at College Lake since 2012 and butterfly surveyor at Bacombe Hill since 2014. He also spent time as the leader of the Pitstone Fen work party, is a member of the College Lake Sunday volunteers, and was volunteer reserve warden and work party leader for Bacombe Hill. Steve has also added to the College Lake visitor experience with his wood carving and woodworking skills.
Alan Kent has been volunteering at Woolley Firs education centre twice a week for several years. He helps with everything from greeting coach drivers and welcoming teachers to assisting the learning officers when they are delivering to classes, ensuring the smooth running of school visits and family events.
Judith Warner is a long-term BBOWT volunteer, committed to working across several work parties in Buckinghamshire, taking on a work party leader role regularly when needed. She is also passionate about ensuring volunteers have a good experience with BBOWT, which led her to sign up as the first Volunteer Voice Forum rep for Bucks and generously shares her skills and knowledge with BBOWT’s trainees.
Bob Wearn has led the monthly Friends of Haymill Valley volunteer group since 2020 and has seen its numbers rise steadily each year. He and his team have facilitated many improvements to the site over the years which have led to little egrets and kingfishers being seen once again along the stream. Bob has recently learnt how to scythe and has cleared the paths to allow better access to wheelchair users and children’s pushchairs.
Outstanding Contribution Group Awards
The long-standing Chilterns Group continues to be the local presence of BBOWT in the area, delivering a wide variety of events every year and raising around £4,000 annually. It’s made up of committee members and around 40 active volunteer helpers. They also produce a Chilterns Newsletter, and members provide valuable links with other local organisations. Some current members have been active volunteers for 30-40 years.
A much newer group, The Nature Discovery Centre retail and information volunteers run the gift shop and reception at the centre, dedicating an average of 40 hours weekly to support BBOWT’s mission. With almost 20 dedicated volunteers, they help the staff team to manage shop operations and significantly enhance the visitor experience at the centre, providing vital information about walks, activities, events, wildlife, and shop stock.
The West Berkshire Hedgelaying Group provides a valuable addition to BBOWT’s nature reserves, taking the time to produce a high-quality finish and laying or improving nearly a kilometre of hedge which can be seen at sites including the Nature Discovery Centre, Watts Bank, Greenham and Crookham Commons, Moor Copse and Inkpen Common.
Conservation volunteers at Weston Turville Reservoir by Gill Cornelius, winner of the 'People in Nature' category in last year's photography competition.
BBOWT now has more than 1,700 volunteers across the three counties and would not be able to do its work without them. Volunteers help with every part of the Trust’s work from scrub bashing, stock-watching and bird-ringing at nature reserves, to helping run Nature Tots events and staffing reception at the charity’s headquarters in Oxford.
BBOWT is extremely grateful to all of its volunteers for the fantastic contributions they make that help the Trust to create more wildlife everywhere for everyone.
