What is BCV?

Based in Bolton, Lancashire, the Bolton Conservation Volunteers (BCV) was established in 1976 to care for and maintain Bolton's natural habitats and wildlife. For the last 25  years the group has been lead by Rick Parker (pictured left). Rick has worked in conservation for many years, his expertise is frequently called upon by local authorities and national conservation organisations. As well as being an authority on newts and dragonflies he is also an accredited member on the National Hedge Laying Society. Rick sits on a number of steering committees providing guidance for local conservation projects and in addition givies talks and provides advice to individuals, landowners and organisations throughout the region. Rick has also won the Bolton News Green Heroes Award 2008 for Greenest Individual thanks to his many years of dedicated conservation work.

Over the years the group has evolved and grown to be one of the oldest and most respected groups of its kind in the country. Our work has taken us across Lancashire, Salford, Manchester on regular tasks, and even to Derbyshire, Flintshire and Cumbria on our working weekend residentials. We also have a hedge laying competition held each year in memory of Dr John Leather, a Bolton GP who championed hedge laying in Bolton.

Our group members have an extensive collective knowledge on wildlife and environmental issues and are regularly featured in local press; group co-ordinator, Rick Parker has, on occasion, even appeared on radio talk shows.  We are frequently involved with organisations such as the Wildlife Trust and local authorities as well as providing practical assistance and advice to local action groups and landowners trying to protect their own local environments.

In addition to carrying out practical habitat management tasks we have regular indoor meetings to discuss issues affecting the group and often have guest speakers from groups such as the RSPB, BTO, and Wildlife Trust.  We have an Annual General Meeting at the beginning of every year to elect officers who take responsibility for posts within the group and report on the year's activities and finances.

As well as work we also have an active social calendar with pub nights out, meals, theatre trips, barbeques, and countryside walks.

The BCV is a self-funding not-for-profit organisation, all proceeds from tasks and donations from supporters being used for conservation projects, equipment, training, and Public Liability Insurance.

In 2007 Bolton Conservation Volunteers won the Bolton News Green Heroes Award for 'Greenest Community Group'. The following Rick won the Green Heroes award for 'Greenest Individual'.

Why volunteer for wildlife?

Conservation projects are costly and labour intensive, Groups such as the BCV provide the much need skills and manpower to allow environmental and conservation groups 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 also from 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 you didn't know existed right on your own doorstep, 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.

To get involved contact us via our Contact Form . 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 .