Practical conservation volunteering activities this autumn season 2026
The Downlands Partnership has a great selection of practical conservation volunteering sessions to try in north-east Surrey (Tadworth to Tatsfield) and in the urban fringe, neighbouring countryside areas of Croydon and Sutton.
There is something for everyone to get involved in, with different seasonal countryside tasks taking place on numerous, glorious sites across the partnership area.
We recommend trying a scrub clearance or plant pulling task first if you are new to practical conservation work, but the majority of our tasks are suitable for all ages (over 16s unless accompanied by an adult please and over 8 years of age is requested) and abilities, as you can work at your own pace and you will be shown exactly what to do. You do need to be fairly fit and enjoy getting out and about in the great outdoors.
How to get involved and find out more
If you have any questions or concerns, please just give us a call for a chat before deciding which task would be best for you to start with. There is no fixed commitment with our conservation crew, you can come and join in as often as you like, for full or half days (morning session). Our task sessions run from 10am and end by 4pm, subject to weather and season, with lunch and tea breaks.
Exercising whilst socialising in the great outdoors with friendly, like-minded people has recognised widespread health and well-being benefits and of course, supports the maintenance and restoration of the beautiful local countryside and its rare habitats too.
Please call our task team based at our Caterham depot on 01737 737306 or email us: downlands@surreycc.gov.uk for further information and to let us know in advance when you would like to come and join in.
To gain an insight into our Downlands Partnership conservation volunteering task days, please visit our Surrey Countryside Partnerships Facebook page.
Please also see our Surrey Countryside Partnerships Volunteer Handbook 2024 (PDF).
We look forward to welcoming you along with our fantastic conservation crew very soon.
Autumn 2026 volunteer task programme
During October to December we have the following conservation volunteering task days on offer that are suitable for new volunteers to consider:
| Scheduled task dates 2026 | Countryside site location | Conservation volunteering activity |
|---|---|---|
| 6, 7 and 8 October | Park Ham, Chaldon near Merstham/Bletchingley | Small scrub removal to open up the chalk grassland Park Ham is part of Surrey County Council's Countryside Estate |
| 13, 14 and 15 October | River Wandle Hackbridge, Sutton | River bank management work on the bank of the River Wandle at Culver's Island |
| 20 October | Banstead Wildlife Field | Clearing vegetation from in and around the pond and by the dipping platform |
| 27, 28 and 29 October | Long Hill, Woldingham | Raking up after brushcutting the scrub growth on the grassland and scrub clearing |
| 3, 4 and 5 November | Featherbed Lane Verge New Addington, Croydon | Raking up after brushcutting the scrub growth on the grassland and scrub clearing. We will also be creating scallops for butterflies. |
| 17 November | Hawkhirst, Whyteleafe | Scrub clearing in the chalk grassland glade in the middle of the woodland Hawkhirst is part of the South London Downs National Nature Reserve |
| 18 and 19 November | Foxley Wood, Kenley | Raking up after brushcutting the scrub growth on the grassland in the grazing paddock |
| 24, 25 and 26 November | Chapel Bank, New Addington | Scrub clearing to open up the chalk grassland for our partner London Wildlife Trust, who manage this site |
| 1, 2 and 3 December | Staffhurst Wood, Limpsfield | Scrub clearing to open up the woodland Staffhurst Wood is part of Surrey County Council's Countryside Estate |
| 8, 9 and 10 December | The Lemons Carshalton/Wallington | Tree planting to create an orchard The Lemons is located next to Little Woodcote Wood opposite Old Lodge Farm, where our Downlands Partnership Grazing service is based, and is owned by Surrey County Council |
| 15, 16 and 17 December | Sanderstead to Whyteleafe Countryside Area (SWCA) | Site management work including scrub clearing to manage the chalk grassland This is our quarterly task week supporting Sarah at the SWCA |
| 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 December | Little Woodcote Wood Carshalton | Scrub clearing to open up the woodland and other site management work Little Woodcote Wood is owned by Surrey County Council |
Monday volunteering sessions at the Sanderstead to Whyteleafe Countryside Area
There are also weekly scheduled practical countryside volunteering task sessions held on Mondays with task leader Sarah at the Sanderstead to Whyteleafe Countryside Area (SWCA).
Corporate and community groups volunteering offer
We are pleased to welcome corporate and local community/school groups by arrangement, plus students completing their Duke of Edinburgh awards and work experience/voluntary training placements. We are developing some great local corporate partnerships with various companies, including Toyota GB based in Burgh Heath and Croudace Homes in Caterham.
Please kindly note that some of the scheduled dates and locations as above listed may not be available or suitable for group involvement. Please email us at: countrysidepartnershipsteam@surreycc.gov.uk and we can further discuss the best available options for your specific group size together, subject to preferred location and time of year, and to explain the booking arrangements for groups.
We have a separate Surrey Countryside Partnerships corporate volunteering brochure which fully explains our corporate offer, including our financial contribution rates for groups of five or more attendees, which you will receive when you make a group enquiry.
The autumn and winter seasons are the best time to join in as a group, especially for larger numbers, as we run lots of scrub clearing sessions and can sometimes offer bespoke separate team volunteering days at this time of year as well, usually on Fridays. Scrub clearance is the ideal countryside volunteering activity for staff team challenges.
Please note we are now taking bookings for November 2026 onwards for team countryside volunteering days, but suitable options greatly depend upon your group size and preferred month(s) and location(s) as aforementioned. Please contact us to further discuss your requirements.
We look forward to hearing from you and to developing many more great corporate partnerships with local companies and with those from neighbouring counties and London as well.
Conservation grazing: voluntary livestock checkers and farm volunteers
The Downlands Partnership runs a busy conservation grazing service vitally supported by a large group of voluntary stock checkers. We also have a small dedicated crew of farm volunteers that regularly help out at our Grazing team base Old Lodge Farm. Find out more about our Grazing service, all our animals and how to get involved with these specific volunteering opportunities on our Downlands Partnership Grazing webpage.
You could support us from your sofa, too!
We are always looking for further monetary support please to fund the purchase of essential items such as tools, materials or even more animals to help us to continue conserving the lovely local landscapes.
If you are unable to help by taking part in practical conservation work, you could please kindly consider supporting the Downlands Partnership by taking up a membership or by giving a donation to our registered independent charity partner, the Downlands Trust.
The Downlands Trust was established in November 2008 and is run by seven dedicated voluntary trustees that actively support our countryside management work; they work hard raising funds through memberships, fundraising and local outreach activities in partnership with us. The Downlands Trust and Downlands Partnership attend targeted public events together to spread the word about the work of both organisations and to promote volunteering and membership opportunities.
The Downlands Trust recently funded the purchase of a large selection of new tools to support our task work and grazing equipment. They have also previously provided very generous financial contributions towards the purchases of essential new off-road vehicles to support the service delivery of our Downlands Partnership task and conservation grazing services.
Please have a look at the Downlands Trust Facebook page to find out more about their charity work and latest news.
Many thanks for your support.