You will hear a conservation worker speaking to new volunteers at a nature reserve.
First you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.
Hello everyone, welcome to Hargrove Nature Reserve and thank you for coming to help us this weekend.
I'd like to start by showing you the map so you can see the layout of the land we're looking after.
As you know the reserve is about a kilometre away from Hargrove town centre which is just off the map and there's a network of paths shown by the dotted lines across the reserve and showing you all the access points.
One reason the site is so good for wildlife is that there was already a lot of it nearby and that's thanks to the allotment gardens which you can see over on the left of the map.
They're surrounded by the path that leads to the town centre, the nature reserve itself and the school playing fields.
Having a large uninterrupted area is really good for insects and birds and that attracts other wildlife too.
We have a little toilet and that's kind of encircled by trees about halfway up the reserve.
Worth knowing where that is, it's open all the time.
There's also a pond which was built by volunteers and where we've already got a healthy population of toads at this time of year.
We decided to situate that for the safety of the animals in the bottom right corner of the site as you look at the map next to the sharp bend on the road.
There's a big wall of course marking the boundary of the reserve so there's no danger to the animals from vehicles going along the road past the reserve.
While you're working you'll need various tools which we keep in our shed.
Well that's at the point where several of the footpaths meet.
It's kept locked so just ask one of the volunteer leaders if you need to use it.
Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 15 to 20.
When the Hargrove Nature Reserve was set up five years ago, we didn't know if we'd be able to find anyone wanting to volunteer with us, but in fact we have had no shortage of applicants like yourselves.
Our sessions last two hours and we can get quite a lot done in that time.
One headache at the moment is the series of heavy storms we've been having this season which have literally washed away some of our footpaths, so we're trying to restore them and hopefully stop that happening again.
Fortunately, we've had generous financial help from the Town Council which should cover what we need to fix the paths.
There should also be enough for new bins as we're still having an issue trying to keep the reserve tidy.
A lot of people seem to think it's okay to just drop sweet wrappers and drinks cans on the ground, despite the signs asking them not to.
Okay, so our main tasks for today.
One of the benches between the viewpoint and the trees we planted last week is completely rotten, so we're going to replace it with a completely new one.
We've got one in a flat pack with us today and it just needs putting together.
Someone asked if we'll be cutting the grass because it's getting very long.
I'll explain why we won't.
It's partly because the mower we used to use has broken and we still haven't repaired it, but more importantly, it's our policy not to cut because allowing growth encourages wildflowers.
Speaking of which, if anyone's any good at identifying what kinds we've got growing here, either with an app or your own knowledge, then let us know because that's one of the tasks for today.
And listen, by volunteering, by giving your time and your skills, you are doing something amazing and we appreciate that volunteering to help us costs you time and money, whether that's for parking or getting the bus here.
So we hope that through your work here, you'll gain insights into how the whole ecosystem works in an environment like this, and whether you've come alone or with a friend, we're sure that at the end of these sessions, you'll have the feeling that you've accomplished something worthwhile.
That is the end of part two.
You now have some time to check your answers.
