The FIVE Things to Avoid when Hosting a Volunteers Day:
Over a week has passed after the inaugural Grange Project volunteers’ day, and we now feel sufficiently recovered to share some of our reflections. For those that may not be familiar with the Grange Project, without any particularly relevant background in ecology, we began ‘rewilding’ our 80 acres in 2023. However we always knew we wanted to share the experience with a community, even if we weren’t entirely sure where we’d find them! As a result, our first volunteers’ day was always going to be an important (and special) milestone for the project.
Our volunteers had come for an experience of rewilding and to engage in something purposeful. As a result, we were determined to recognise everyone’s commitment with some thoughtful organisation. There were some key questions: How do you plant a tree? How do you cook for 30 people? What about health and safety? We worked through them all and ended up with something that resembled a plan.
Activities for the day included: removing internal fences (to allow wildlife to travel more freely and increase the feeling of ‘wildness’), creating brash piles (protection for baby trees and a wildlife habitat) and planting trees (kickstarting seed distribution into the centre of the fields).
We had a genuinely wonderful time AND there were things we wish we’d done differently. Here are our thoughts:
1) Don’t get anything new. In our enthusiasm to make the day accessible for all and to ensure we had suitable equipment for all our rewilding activities, we bought a fair amount of ‘gardening stuff’. But that was before we discovered Tools for Self Reliance Cymru, a local charity which repurposes garden tools (probably better quality than our new purchases as well), with all profits going to grassroots community groups in Tanzania. We did use our local Benthyg (Library of Things) for all of our tables, crockery, blackboard, the tea urn and a very handy water container – so straightforward to use and it’s amazing the things they have listed!
2) Don’t go it alone. Tom and I have been used to driving forward a lot of the activities at the Grange Project solo, he would also say I’m not great at asking for help (a skill I’m trying to develop). We had help from so many people in preparation for the day – whether in baking delicious cakes, remembering stuff we’d forgotten (turns out we only have 14 spoons) or giving us advice around tree protection – and the best thing is, I think they all enjoyed being asked. We particularly appreciated our wonderful ‘team leaders’ who took responsibility for different activities - Grange Project heroes - you know who you are!
3) Don’t underestimate the emotion. In the hours spent on logistics, we forgot about how it would actually feel to have over thirty people actually coming to the land and helping us to kickstart nature recovery. It was a joy, and it felt a little like that joy was contagious. I wish I’d given myself a few more moments throughout the day to step back, appreciate the wonderful atmosphere of shared productivity and consider the small role we’d played in creating it.
4) Don’t miss people’s stories. In our preoccupation to ensure that everyone was sufficiently fed and watered and no one lost an eye to a way-ward pickaxe, it sometimes felt like we had no time to stop and listen to everyone’s story; what had drawn them to volunteer and what they’d hoped to get from the day. Next time round, I’d like to have more time just to slow down, be present and listen.
5) Don’t call it a volunteers day! On reflection, we feel that the title of ‘volunteers day’ doesn’t really encapsulate the feeling we had on the day. We have always wanted the Grange Project to be a shared experience and with the involvement of a diverse community. So, whether you were a neighbour, a climate activist, a nature lover or merely curious – we were delighted to welcome you to the Grange Project Community Day (and we hope you will join us for many more).
Finally, and a particular note for Tom, we would respectfully suggest that you don’t carry 40 litres of vegetable chilli by yourself – not unless you want to remake said chilli when you lose your footing and it ends up all over the floor.
Bring on the summer community day – we can’t wait to see you there.
Chloe and Tom
‘Absolutely love it. It was just so nice to be surrounded by so many people who see what the necessary thing to do is and who are willing to get stuck in… what a wholesome day!’ – Feedback from the Grange Project Community Day 1 (Spring 2024)
