Carry out specific environmental and conservation tasks.
Occupational Profile
Countryside Workers are the custodians of our rural outdoor scenery. They conserve the environment that makes the English countryside both distinctive and special. They take care of our protected landscapes – National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), National Nature Reserves as well as private landed estates, country and, to a degree, urban parks. These cover huge amounts of our country, for example 25% of England is covered by National Parks and AONBs while National Nature Reserves cover an additional 60,000 hectares across 143 separate sites. Wildlife Trusts and Rivers Trusts also employ Countryside Workers in their environmental and conservation work.
Typical job titles of roles that successful Countryside Worker apprentices undertake include; Estate Worker, Access Ranger, Maintenance Ranger, Site Warden, Assistant Ranger, Field Operative and Volunteer Leader
Countryside Workers carry out specific environmental and conservation tasks and they will also be clear about how practical conservation work interacts with the productive and recreational use of the countryside, including allied farming (livestock and crop production) and sporting activities (most commonly fishing and shooting) and how these relate to countryside management practices. For example, a Countryside Worker would know that work on paths on upland farms should avoid lambing season and that work on grouse habitat should be done in the winter.
Countryside Workers will be able and willing to do challenging work outdoors, in a variety of locations, which may be remote, including moorland, heathland, woodland and coast, interact with the public and explain their work as well as undertaking their role all year round in a variety of weathers, both on their own and as part of a team. Their day to day work will include:
- Building and repairing a variety of field boundaries including fences, walls and hedging. The type and techniques used will depend on the use of the boundary, for example, controlling livestock to maintaining geographical location specific landscape features such as stone walls and hedging.
- Maintaining public rights of way for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The type of surface and associated gates, stiles and bridges varying depending on the use, terrain and landscape.
- Improving habitats and woodland to get them in good condition by using a variety of appropriate techniques, including pruning, felling or planting so native flora and fauna (plants and animals) can thrive. This varies depending upon the local area. For example, in the North York Moors native wildlife includes freshwater salmon, golden plover, merlin, hen harrier, turtle dove and freshwater pearl mussels while native plants include oaks, ash and a wide variety of cornfield flowers.
- Countryside Workers control invasive species, such as Himalayan Balsam, and use the right technique for each species – this could be cutting back, pulling out, spraying or injecting with pesticide.
- Surveying/monitoring habitats and flora and fauna to understand species numbers and relate this to relevant habitat management practices. For example, monitoring of the numbers of merlin (native bird of prey) has resulted in areas of moorland being left unburned (burning is a common management technique to encourage new heather growth) and the establishment of single trees encouraged as these are attractive to Merlin in a moorland landscape.
Summary of Standard
https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/countryside-worker/
Full Standard
