What is BCV?

Bolton Conservation Volunteers (BCV) is a self-funding not-for-profit organisation based in Bolton, Lancashire and was established in 1976 by a group of Bolton residents wanting to care for and maintain Bolton's natural habitats and wildlife. BCV has since grown to be one of the oldest and most respected independent conservation groups in the country. Our work regularly takes us across Lancashire, Salford and Manchester with organisations such as Salford Ranger Service,  Bolton Council Woodland Section, the Amphibian and Reptile Group of South Lancashire, and United Utilities. We also provide practical assistance and advice to residents groups, schools and landowners wanting to help wildlife in their local environments.

For the last 27  years BCV has been led by Rick Parker (pictured). Rick has worked in conservation for many years and as well as being an authority on ponds, newts and dragonflies he is also an accredited member on the National Hedge Laying Society. In 2008 Rick won the Bolton News Green Heroes Award for  'Greenest Individual' thanks to his many years of dedicated conservation work.

Our other group members also have an extensive collective knowledge of wildlife and environmental issues and are regularly featured in the local press.  In 2007 Bolton Conservation Volunteers won the Bolton News Green Heroes Award for 'Greenest Community Group', and in recent years we have been nominated for the Queen's Award for Volunteering.

Our work has resulted in many success stories: common tern have bred for the first time at Rumworth Lodge and Bleackleach Reservoir, Salford, thanks to our tern habitat projects; we pioneered the use of new and innovative methods for planting reedbeds - reedbeds planted at Doffcocker Lodge and Blackleach are now home to reed warbler and reed bunting; we have created over 250 new ponds and devised a now widely used technique for counting newt populations; we hold an annual hedge laying competition in memory of Dr John Leather a Bolton GP who championed hedge laying in Bolton and inspired many people to take up this traditional countryside skill.

In addition to our practical conservation work there is also a walking group, BCV Rambles,  which meets every two months for walks around some of the Northwest's beauty spots.

Why Volunteer for Wildlife?

Conservation projects are costly and labour intensive, Groups such as BCV provide the much need skills and manpower to allow conservation groups, schools and other organisations to achieve their goals of preserving the country's biodiversity with the limited resources they have. Our natural habitats and wild species are under increasing pressure  from land use, pollution and our changing climate.

The ecological connections between species locally, nationally and globally are complex and what affects a small part of our world also affects the world at large. By protecting our local environment we also protect our global future.

Volunteering is fun, enjoyable, and interesting. You will learn new skills and ancient skills, you will get to visit places on your own doorstep that you didn't know existed. It is also a good way of keeping fit and making friends with people who share a common interest.

We are an equal opportunities group with an established Code of Conduct and we welcome people of all ages and backgrounds. It costs nothing to join us and no experience is necessary as all training is provided on task. We also have qualified first-aiders and a tools safety officer to ensure none of our volunteers come to harm. Please see our Upcoming Tasks page for details of our planned work programme.

To get involved contact us via our Contact Form or contact Rick Parker on 07908084709. Alternatively, if you have any conservation tasks that you think may be of interest to us please get in touch with us via the same methods of contact .