The Scottish Wildlife Trust owns or manages over 120 nature reserves in Scotland. Our network of regionally based Reserve Project Officers, in conjunction with locally based volunteers undertake all practical conservation work on these sites, protecting a diverse range of biodiversity and ensuring safe access for visitors to enjoy greenspaces and the wildlife they host.We are keen to build on the success of previous EVS projects which have proved highly beneficial to both the volunteers and the Trust and wish to combine our expertise in providing employability skills (work experience, knowledge and training) with our desire to work with more quality EVS volunteers who could help us deliver this vital conservation work.The aim of this project is to facilitate the further involvement of EVS volunteers in protecting biodiversity on our nature reserves, broadening their experience by offering the opportunity to participate in a number of residential conservation placements working on a broad range of habitats across Scotland. They will also be involved in enhancing access opportunities and raising awareness of Scotland's natural heritage, thus protecting biodiversity by encouraging local communities to value and conserve their local natural resources. We aim to make volunteers much more employable by providing four 12 month (and one 8 month) placements with varied work experience and training. We have selected 5 quality, motivated EVS volunteers (3 male & 1 female already identified) from 4 countries, all of whom are prepared to dedicate an extended period abroad in order to learn and find work, ideally in conservation. 3 volunteers will be based in the Highlands and 2 in the North East. The proposed activities will be:CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES - Meadow management - Control of non-native invasive species - Peat bog management- Woodland management and restructuring - Access enhancements eg repairing footpaths, hide maintenance The volunteers would also be given the opportunity to participate in 8 residential conservation work placements on some of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s more remote reserves. DEVELOPING A SELF-LED PROJECTVolunteers will be supported to undertake a self-led project focusing on a specific aspect of conservation. We have a number of potential projects to offer which would add a major extra dimension to the volunteers' learning. PARTICIPATING IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONOur Highland volunteers will be encouraged to take part in and/or lead educational and awareness-raising activities such as guided walks or school visits. The aim of these awareness-raising activities is to protect biodiversity by encouraging the public to value and look after Scotland’s natural heritage.We will make all necessary pre-placement arrangements including making a formal agreement with sending organisations and arranging accommodation for volunteers. Our qualified and experienced staff and mentors will provide a well supported, friendly and relaxed working environment, ideal for the learning and consolidation of new skills. We will provide all instruction, supervision, tools, equipment and transport to our work sites. We will give all volunteers an induction and keep our volunteers safe throughout the placement. All our activities are insured. We will offer time for review of progress, reflection on Youthpass activities and feedback on work delivered.There are a number of tangible benefits to this project: by recruiting volunteers for 12 months they have the time to gain a huge amount of knowledge about the conservation world over the 4 seasons, receive training, gain new skills and be much more employable whilst the Scottish Wildlife Trust can use well motivated quality volunteers to protect biodiversity on our reserves. The continuity provided by having this number of long term volunteers will allow us to achieve results not normally possible with our usual occasional volunteers.Our EVS volunteers will be high profile and we would advertise their work through our members' magazine, our website, through the wider Wildlife Trust’s network and other local networks. Our group of volunteers is particularly well motivated, hungry for the chance to improve their prospects and of sufficient quality that they can take full advantage of the learning opportunities we can provide. We are confident that their quality combined with our collective conservation and project management experience will result in a successful project for all.