I am a proud Yorkshireman, born and raised: I had the good fortune of growing up in a village on the edge of Ilkley Moor with nature all around me.

My father was a keen ornithologist so a love of wildlife was instilled in me from a young age.

My career after university went from a short time in the Royal Navy to building society management and financial services, which included roles as training officer and senior corporate pensions consultant. As such I am very used to face-to-face contact with people from all walks of life.

While my career was clearly unrelated to nature, I have never lost my passion for the natural world, and when I took early retirement I was looking at ways to fill in my time with activities I enjoy.

Already being a supporter of BBOWT, I looked into volunteering and started with the mid-week group in 2016 operating out of Littlemore: we would travel to a different nature reserve each week to help out with practical conservation work.

I was already aware of the environmental issues in this country and the urgent need to protect our wild spaces, so it was natural for me to get involved with nature.

I started volunteering with BBOWT’s Upper Ray Meadows group in 2018 and I’m still going: based at the Trust’s Meadow Farm reserve near Bicester, we work across a network of six sites that are home to a host of wildflowers, insects, birds and mammals. I find the management of reserves to encourage biodiversity and protect endangered species fascinating.

Volunteering involves learning new skills such as scything, brush cutting, dead hedge and live hedge laying, as well as woodland management - to name but a few. You get to work with like-minded people and I enjoy the comradery.

Always looking to see what further help I can give wildlife, in 2019 I decided to apply for a job helping to recruit new members for the Trust.

This face-to-face role, meeting and chatting to members of public, suited me and it seemed natural to be able to inform the public about our environmental issues and what the Trust is doing about it. Getting peoples’ support to help with the challenges facing the natural world is both satisfying and rewarding.

So why do I keep recruiting through thick and thin, bad weather and good?

Simple: I am passionate about nature, and concerned for the planet and our future generations. The icing on the cake is that I enjoy telling everyone about it and convincing them how important it is to protect our planet for our future generations.

I would not class it as work, rather a vocation. You get to work at a variety of venues from farmers’ markets to wildlife reserves; from garden centres to rare breed centres; at shows, festivals and exhibitions to name but a few.

And the fundraising team at BBOWT is looking for new membership recruiters right now: the Trust is seeking engaging and inspiring people to join the team already working at local venues and events. The aim of the role is to encourage people to join their local wildlife trust and support the vital work they do by way of a monthly direct debit.

The role offers an excellent opportunity to bring your experience to a position where you can contribute directly to a cause that you are passionate about.

Together, we are tackling the climate and nature crisis - starting with the ambition of 30 per cent of the UK's land and seas connected and protected for nature by 2030 - so that we might all enjoy a wilder future.

Recruiters get a permanent contract but can work their choice of three or four days per week, to include regular weekends and bank holidays. They earn an average of £20 an hour with commission, but with the potential to achieve more than £45 per hour.

Find out more at bbowt.org.uk/jobs