Community Ranger: West Forest of Dean - Forestry Commission

Forestry Commission

Verified Company

Forest of Dean, United Kingdom

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

Details:

Reference number:

Salary:

- £27,941- pro-rata based on 22.2hrs a week (0.

6 FTE)- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Job grade:

Administrative Officer
Pay Band 6a
Contract type:
Permanent
Business area:
FC
Forestry England
West England Forest District
Forest of Dean
Type of role:
Operational Delivery
Working pattern:
Flexible working, Job share, Parttime
Number of jobs available:
1Contents

Location

About the job

Benefits:

Things you need to know

Location

Forest of DeanAbout the job

Job summary:

What could be better than working outdoors in the nation's vast and varied forests, taking on challenging tasks, and making a tangible difference.

Our Community Rangers use their broad skills and ongoing training to directly engage the community in the work of Forestry England.

Whether that be communicating about forestry operations in person and using signage or leading community groups to carry out woodland management.

Our Community Rangers are also key in helping to ensure our woodlands are safe for the public to enjoy.

The work is varied and would suit a person who is self-motivated and well organised to undertake tasks in a safe and efficient manner.

Background
Forestry England is part of the Forestry Commission.

West England Forest District is responsible for the sustainable management of over 38,200ha of the public forest estate in the west and south-west of England.

The North of the District extends from woodlands just to the north of Shrewsbury, southwards to the majestic oak and beech woods of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire and south-west as far as Idless Woods near Truro in Cornwall.

The District is managed from the District Office at Coleford, in the Forest of Dean, supported by local Forest Beat or Recreation Hub delivery teams dispersed across the Forest District.

These local teams are responsible for the delivery of agreed work programmes.

The West Dean team cover the West side of the Forest of Dean main block, woodlands in Herefordshire and woodlands to the south west of the main block in the Wye Valley.

The team are based at the main office in Coleford.

The Beat is led by a Beat Forester, supported by a team of eleven staff who are responsible for all aspects of woodland management, including timber sales, tree safety, community engagement and wildlife management.

Job description:

The postholder will support the Beat Forester in communicating and engaging the public to explain a wide range of forestry operations, recreational activities, and work to overcome antisocial behaviours in our woodlands

You can expect to spend around two thirds of your time outdoors and will usually be expected to manage your own time to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.

A normal working week could involve a recreation trail inspection, including following up reported incidents of antisocial behaviour one day, writing letter and signs to explain a forestry operation to the local community another day, leading a community group to carry out a conservation task on another day.

Key Work Areas

1) Widen participation in woodland recreation for all abilities

Develop and lead the delivery of a community plan for the beat to deliver a step-change in both the numbers and quality of dialogue with local people both using and engaged in the management of their local woodlands.

Develop new and alternative ways of engaging with local people to ensure there are different opportunities for people to hear about and get involved in our work, particularly those hard-to-reach audiences who may not use the typical or traditional ways of engaging.

2) Increase our capacity and effectiveness through partnership working
Initiate and lead or support partnership projects ensuring joint positive outcomes.

Develop and maintain an up to date, growing network of contacts across the communities in the beat, representing a cross section of the people living, working and using our woodlands.

3) Raise awareness and understanding of sustainable forestry

Proactively tell the story of how we manage forests, including local engagement about proposed and active forestry operations on the beat.

Collaborate with Forestry England colleagues to deliver forestry-related sessions to Sixth Form, Further Education students and adult special-interest groups.

Interact with our visitors in a positive way (either face to face or through digital channels such as social media) to help them understand and connect to our forests and woodlands.

Challenge antisocial behaviour in the woodlands we manage, from littering to unauthorised trail building, documenting issues and working with the community to change behaviours.

4) Increase volunteering opportunities across a diverse community
Encourage the development of meaningful volunteering opportunities on the beat for individuals, groups and companies, and facilitate