Nature and Countryside Jobs
Countryside Ranger/Warden
Countryside rangers/wardens manage and look after areas of the countryside for use by the public, while also protecting plant and animal life.
They are responsible for places such as nature reserves, country parks, coastal areas, heath and moor land, forests, national parks and sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs).
Their duties include:
- Talking to visitors and taking them on guided walks.
- Practical conservation work, eg, mending fences and clearing vegetation.
- Making sure people obey by-laws to protect the environment.
- Creating and maintaining favourable habitats to encourage the development of plant and animal life.
Garden Centre Assistant
Garden centre assistants sell plants and garden equipment. They look after the plants, set up attractive displays, keep records of stock and give advice to customers.
They help with daily tasks like tidying up, weeding, watering, checking the plants for disease and pests, and trimming dead leaves.
In nurseries, they grow plants, eg, in large greenhouses, as well as sell them. They move young plants into larger pots and take cuttings.
Garden centre assistants give advice to customers, eg, on how to care for their plants and prevent disease.
Park Warden
Park wardens make sure that parks, and their buildings and amenities, are kept clean, tidy and safe to use. Typical duties include mowing, tidying and raking lawns.
Some park wardens work with school or community groups and, in some places, co-ordinate volunteer workers.
If a park warden works in more than one park, they have to travel between them. Administration duties may be done in a central office or in a van. Protective clothing is worn for gardening tasks.