Countryside Conservation: ELIQUENT UK Team’s Volunteer Day
Each year at ELIQUENT Life Sciences the UK team dedicates a day to volunteering together. This year we returned to partner with the Surrey County Council’s Surrey Heathland Partnership group to carry out countryside conservation in the beautiful Surrey countryside.
The weather didn’t make things easy. Instead of the sun we were hoping for and had last year, we were met with periods of some very heavy rain. But this didn’t effect our enthusiasm – we live in the UK after all, we’re used to this! 😊
Some of the team working away in the heavy rain!
Provided with various tools; saws, loppers (scissor-like tools with long handles) and poppers (lever-operated tools to easily remove small trees by the roots – they’re super satisfying to use!), alongside A LOT of determination, we set about tackling one of the biggest challenges faced by heathlands: invasive tree growth.
Why Heathlands Matter
Heathlands are rare ecosystems that are rich in biodiversity and home to species that cannot survive elsewhere. Over time, birch trees and other shrubs and bushes can overun these open landscapes, reducing the space for heather and the unique wildlife it supports to thrive.
Various types of heather and a unique insect which lives in the heathland
By taking part in scrub clearance to carefully remove invasive birch trees with hand tools, we were helping to restore the heathland. Each cleared patch opens up the habitat to let light in so that rare species can thrive. This becomes a future haven for heather to spread, providing food and shelter for insects, birds, and reptiles.
Our task leader, Tasha, told us there were some common lizards living in this particular heathland. Small actions like this, spread across the area, can make a real difference in preserving these habitats for generations to come. Very satisfying!
Impact Beyond the Landscape
The impact wasn’t just environmental. Spending the day outdoors and working alongside each other brought our team closer together in a way that’s hard to achieve in an office especially when the majority of us work remotely. The team work and the shared sense of purpose led to many interesting conversations and plenty of laughter. We all left with smiles on our faces and priceless memories.
A group highlight was meeting the friendly Icelandic ponies that graze and help to maintain the heathland. Another was looking back at the heathland at the end of the day to see all the trees we had cleared as a team in one days work! Despite the weather, as a team we managed to clear 1000 square metres of birch to help restore the open heathland habitat!
Two of the beautiful Icelandic ponies and the cleared heathland at the end of the day
Lessons Learnt
As the organiser, the experience was very rewarding. I was proud to see the team working together and getting stuck into the challenge alongside the fact that everyone enjoyed the day with great feedback all while contributing to environmental conversation.
My key takeaways from the day were:
- Every little action adds up: It may not feel like much to clear a few trees, but working together as a team we made a huge difference!
- Teambuilding strengthens teams: Working outside of our usual office environment provided new and unique opportunities for collaboration and deepened our team connection.
- Nature is great for our wellbeing: Being outdoors in the fresh air, even in the rain, did wonders for our mental health and wellbeing.
Overall, volunteering and conservation work isn’t just about protecting landscapes but it also provides an opportunity to work together as a team in a new environment and learn about ourselves and each other. It’s priceless!
by Hannah Withnell, Marketing Associate