Meet Richard Lord, a regular and dedicated volunteer for the Sherwood Forest Trust. His volunteering with the Sherwood Forest Trust began with a lockdown-era research project. “I think I answered an advert… you had wanted somebody to do some research on Sherwood Forest during World War II,” he recalls. That project may have started online, but it sowed the seeds for years of hands-on conservation work and personal growth.
Once restrictions eased, Richard joined in with outdoor activities like heathland management and litter picking. His enthusiasm was quickly noticed. “I planted trees, we cut down silver birch trees, we moved a lot of broom… I said, yeah, I’ll do that.” Despite a busy week with other volunteer roles – including helping hospital visitors as a “wayfinder” at King’s Mill Hospital – Richard carved out time for his regular Tuesday mornings with the Trust to help out at the community tree nursery, the Sherwood Seedbank.
What keeps him coming back? It’s the variety, the community, and the sense of purpose. “There’s always something different to do,” he says. One of his more memorable moments came while litter-picking with another volunteer: “She found a yogurt pot… and there was a lizard inside it, covered in yogurt. We washed it off and off it went!”
Richard’s time with the Trust has deepened his knowledge of the natural world – and his connection to it. From collecting seeds in the forest to tending young plants and watching them thrive, he appreciates being part of a longer story. “Here you can tend to things and watch it grow. It is literally going from picking little seeds, to planting them, and they end up in beds and eventually being planted out.” At the Sherwood Seedbank, native seeds are collected and sown, and then donated to be planted in the Sherwood area, to help create new woodlands.
He also praises the team atmosphere: “All the staff that I’ve met… have been really good.” Events like the Sherwood Forest Trust Woodland Festival, where volunteers can help set up and support activities, add another layer of fun and fulfilment.
Volunteering with the Sherwood Forest Trust isn’t just about conserving our important and crucial landscapes—it’s about personal discovery, skill-building, and community. As Richard puts it, “It’s a super volunteering role and something I look forward to each week.”
If you’d like to be a part of this fantastic volunteering community, please get in touch at info@sherwoodforesttrust.org.uk.
