Severn Treescapes Wetland and Woodland Advisor in Leominster

We are seeking a Severn Treescapes Wetland and Woodland Advisor to support landholders to grow more trees, through habitat mosaics that benefit biodiversity, nature-based solutions and farm business. To deliver the Dead Wood Society project with the Severn Treescapes team.

Main Responsibilities:

• To deliver on-farm advice and support regarding traditional orchards, woodland creation and tree planting against the objectives of the Severn Treescapes and Dead Wood Society projects.
• To support landholders to enter available schemes for the management and creation of traditional orchards and wood pasture, promoting current and future deadwood habitats.
• You will advise on and ensure that wetland and Natural Flood Management (NFM) opportunities are incorporated into habitat mosaics where appropriate.
• You will engage with landowners and farmers to match tree planting aspirations to available planting sites by promoting woodland expansion and access to both private and public funding schemes.
• You will assist landowners and farmers to apply for appropriate wetland and woodland creation and management funding schemes e.g. English Woodland Creation Offer, CSHT and SFI actions and others.
• Where appropriate, and liaising with the Project Manager, you will engage landholders to sign agreements to use the Severn Treescapes capital funds.
• You will engage and supervise contractors and suppliers to undertake a range of activities such as supplying trees and guards, planting, fencing, and NFM work.
• You will work with the Comms and Engagement Coordinator to provide a range of targeted outreach activity and events to generate interest among landowners and farmers to apply for grant applications to government funded woodland creation and CS woodland management schemes, including BNG and carbon investment.

You will have excellent communication and IT skills, experience of managing budgets and partnership projects, and a sound understanding of both English agriculture, forestry, wetlands and woodland.

The Severn Treescapes project will create a 60-mile N-S corridor (1728km2) across 3 counties. It will test woodland creation and increasing connectivity at scale across productive landscapes. The area currently covers Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire from the Lower Wye Valley through the Forest of Dean, Leadon Vale, Woolhope Dome and Malvern Hills, to the Wyre Forest. Severn Treescapes connects nationally important landscapes, providing enhanced ecological resilience, multiple ecosystem services and engaging urban and rural communities.

It aims to increase tree connectivity across higher grade agricultural areas through hedgerows, woodland belts, traditional orchards, wood pasture, silvopasture, silvoarable and agroforestry, and incorporate wetland features into habitat mosaics, where appropriate, enhancing water quality, recharge, flood alleviation and reducing soil erosion. Large-scale broadleaved woodland creation is likely to be on the lower grade marginal land and steeper slopes. This role will cover the county of Herefordshire, predominantly working in the east of the county, the project area covers the fantastic landscapes of the Lower Wye Valley, Woolhope Dome and the Malvern Hills within Herefordshire and includes the city of Hereford. Some working across borders into Worcestershire and Gloucestershire may be required in order to support the other Woodland Advisors, but this would not be significant.

An important strand of our Severn Treescapes work is our focus on deadwood, traditional orchards and veteran trees in the landscape. Three days per week of this role will be delivering our Dead Wood Society project, involving liaising with landholders to manage, expand and create traditional orchards in Herefordshire (through ELM actions where possible, but through other funding sources as well), promoting and protecting important habitats and key saproxylic species. The Deadwood Society will be very much a team effort, and you will be liaising closely with the other advisors and the Engagement and Comms Coordinator to deliver advice and events around these themes.

Term: Fixed term until March 2029, Full-time 37 hours per week

Team: Nature Recovery

Reports to: Herefordshire Wildlife Trust Head of Nature Recovery

Location: Hybrid. The post will have the option to mix home based and office working from: Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, Queenswood Country Park, Dinmore Hill, Herefordshire, HR6 0PY

Management Responsibility: Volunteers

Key relationships internal: CEO, Head of Nature Action

Key relationships external: Forestry England, Forestry Commission, Woodland Trust, Natural England, Environment Agency, Herefordshire Council, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trusts

Annual leave: 33 days inclusive of 8 bank holidays increasing by one day per to a max of 38 days (pro rata for part-time staff)

5% Employer pension contributions

Group Life Assurance 2 x salary

Health Cash plan and wellbeing services with Westfield Health

Sick Pay

Training and development

Free Parking onsite

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We actively encourage applications from individuals who are underrepresented in the conservation sector, including, but not limited to, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, disabled people, and those from socio-economically disadvantaged groups. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know. We use an anonymised shortlisting process which means that personal details such as name, age, gender, and other identifying information are removed from applications before they are reviewed. Our focus is on your skills, experience, and potential to succeed in the role.