Index Home Join IPCC

Volunteering at IPCC

Volunteers are always welcome at the Irish Peatland Conservation Council. IPCC has a thriving population of volunteers at all times of the year. The work they do is equivalent to having 5 full time members of staff. Full training is always given especially if you are trying to increase your skills base.

Anyone who is happy to work with others, as part of a small group, with an interest in nature conservation and the environment makes an ideal volunteer. You also need to have time on your hands, ideally one day a week if possible. This just means that you can get stuck into something and see the results of your labour. We have both indoor and outdoor jobs and projects to be done.

We also welcome transition year students or college students who wish to do research projects with IPCC or wish to undertake work experience.

All volunteers work from the Bog of Allen Nature Centre at Lullymore in Co. Kildare.

There are many different ways volunteers can help at the centre as follows:

Office Administrative work: filing, photocopying, database work and typing

Save the Bogs Campaign Work: helping to pack mailings to IPCC's supporters

Visitor Centre Maintenance: our centre is a 19th century farm building which is always in need of cleaning, painting, etc

Special Events: IPCC run three community open days during the year at weekends. Volunteers help out on such days offering refreshments, selling plants at our plant sales, helping in the Nature shop, guiding visitors around the centre and gardens and even leading tours to the bog.

Research Library: shelving books, databasing IPCC's collection of journals, books and scientific papers

Nature Shop: making parcels during the Christmas rush (September-December), pricing and stocking shelves, organising gallery of paintings etc

Nature Centre Gardens: weeding and mulching beds, composting, fence maintenance, planting, path construction, weekly recording of birds and wildlife in the gardens, watering carnivorous plants etc

Peatland Sites: litter pick ups, removing invasive pine and birch trees, drain blocking, scientific surveys of plants, birds and animals, monthly water table measurements

Stamp Sorting: we collect stamps from our supporters which need to be sorted out into Irish, British and World Wide and clipped. This is a volunteering job that can be done from home

How to apply to be a volunteer

If you are interested in volunteering to work in any of the areas above contact us at IPCC, Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kildare or click here to fill out and submit our electronic volunteers form. Please fill out the form completely so that we can get in touch with you through other than internet, means.

Please contact the Volunteers Co-ordinator, Catherine O'Connell directly for further details about how to get involved if you are based outside Dublin or feel you could help us by working from home - just click here to e-mail us.

Equal Opportunities

Irish Peatland Conservation Council is striving to be an equal opportunities employer and welcomes volunteers regardless of race, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or marital status. Unfortunately, currently our centre has limited wheelchair access.