Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire's first ever Young Ranger get-together

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire's first ever Young Ranger get-together

Keeping It Wild member Miles writes about his experiences at Woodside Nature Reserve in Derbyshire while working with a team of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust young volunteers.

After a relatively long car journey, we began the tour by heading in the direction of the Highland cows they’d acquired. It was terribly windy that day, so I was glad I wore my Keeping It Wild hoodie! (Branding!) 

I saw, in the distance, the expansive greenery I anticipated. I must admit, it was a very pretty area. It was very nice walking down: wildflowers filled the hedgerows, shrubs galore, and a little, quiet café. It’s apparent that this place is both a sanctuary for wildlife and a pleasant retreat for people looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of modern society. 

Young nature volunteers looking out into field with ponies

Keeping It Wild and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust volunteers at Woodside Nature Reserve

When we arrived at where the cows were, a man explained to us how they managed the cows. Apparently, they map boundaries as to where the cows can and can’t go using a computer. Every cow has a chip, and this chip prevents the cows from leaving these mapped boundaries. Now, this is not only beneficial to people walking the area but also the cows themselves, as this mapping allows for zones in which cows cannot be accidentally disturbed as well as protecting the cows from escaping the reserve and potentially getting struck by surrounding roads.

After walking further, we were introduced to some of the ponies kept on the reserve. One of which I recall had the name ‘Punk’, and this I believe was due to his mane somewhat resembling a mohawk or another punk hairstyle. They were fed ‘Pony nuts’ and we were told their purpose on the reserve. We were told that ponies eat grass in a different manner to other animals such as cows, and this makes them perfect for maintaining the desired habitat for the wildlife around. 

Two ponies feeding in large field

Ponies feeding at Woodside Nature Reserve

After further walking, we eventually came to a ‘base camp’ where we all stopped to take a break and eat some pizza. Everyone who I spoke to was very friendly and I felt very welcome. 

The final things we did required us to be split into three: ‘Butterflies’, ‘Newts’, and ‘Ponies’; I was assigned to ‘Newts’ at first. The activity that ‘Newts’ carried out was pond dipping. We were led to some elevated wooden ponds and each given a bowl, magnifier, and some identification sheets provided to identify anything that had been caught. We were informed that these ponds were home to a protected species of newt, and to avoid a chosen ‘safe corner’ for any newts that wished to hide. 

Young volunteers pond dipping

The 'newts' team pond dipping to catch and identify newts.

Next, we rotated, and I joined ‘Ponies’. The job of the ‘Ponies’ was to comment on what they liked about the Wildlife Trust programs for young people, and to suggest any ways in which these experiences could be improved to be more inclusive and youth led. 

Finally, I joined ‘Butterflies’. ‘Butterflies’ were tasked with performing a butterfly transect across a decided path. For those who don’t know, a transect is a walk in which one records however many species they have seen over a specified area; the data collected from these walks is used in monitoring levels of species. 

Overall, this was a wonderful day to remember. I highly recommend Woodside Nature Reserve in Derbyshire. It is a magical little place that is rich in both sights and biodiversity.

Get involved

Find out more about our Young Rangers monthly volunteer sessions and how to join, visit our web page!

Young Rangers

To find out more about our youth-led volunteer group Keeping It Wild, visit our KIW page!

Keeping It Wild