A NEW group seeking to establish a voluntary movement to care for the countryside will be meeting in Ross on Tuesday April 24th to enlist wardens.

The Herefordshire Voluntary Wardens will consist of members of the local community, who will volunteer their time to help enhance the landscape, improve access, and inform and introduce Herefordshire to visitors to local people.

A similar scheme in the Cotswolds – the Cotswolds Voluntary Wardens – has been going for over 40 years. Today there are over 340 full time members there, who volunteer their time and skills to help keep the Cotswolds special. Last year those volunteers gave £44,000 worth of man hours to work in the countryside – by invitation – from landowners, parish councils and local residents.

Anyone can join in. It is anticipated that there will be a wide range of activities that the voluntary wardens will be involved in: hedge laying, tree planting, restoration of ponds, sheep-dips, keeping foot paths open and installing kissing gates.

In addition, when they are not taking part in conservation work, many wardens will conduct guided walks to interpret their part of the county. Each leader will be able to share their enthusiasm for an aspect of Herefordshire that is important to them, be it birds or trees, historic buildings or the geology of the area. "There really is something for every volunteer to enjoy," said Elizabeth Holley, a member of the steering group, who will be in Ross on April 24th to muster up enthusiasm for the scheme. If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Herefordshire Voluntary Warden in Ross and surrounding areas then go along to the Larruperz Centre on Tuesday April 24th at 7.30 and meet members of the steering group and other volunteers.

For further information contact: [email protected]">[email protected]