Citizen Science Co-ordinator

Citizen Science Co-ordinator, Tewkesbury Nature Reserve (Part-Time)

Location: Tewkesbury Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire (with some home working)
Hours: 0.3 FTE 11.25 hours per week (flexible working available)
Contract: Fixed-term (48 months)
Reports to: Outdoor Learning Officer and Team Leader
Salary: £8,640.80 (FTE rate £28,802)

1. JOB PURPOSE

To co-ordinate and develop citizen science activities on Tewkesbury Nature Reserve, enabling local people to participate in wildlife monitoring, data collection, and ecological learning. Data gathered will inform management of the Natural Heritage of the Reserve and help with the identification of risks and opportunities. The post-holder will build community capacity, support volunteer training, manage datasets, and help ensure that biodiversity and water quality information contributes to effective reserve management and public engagement.

About TNR: Within Tewkesbury, Tewkesbury Nature Reserve (TNR), an independent environmental charity, combines concern for nature and community interests, with potential to be a living laboratory (44 ha) for outdoor learning. Urban floodplain nature reserves bring particular challenges with competing interests (nature, farming, recreation, infrastructure, floods), and diverse communities with different drivers, knowledge, skills and values. Acting as unique ‘green lungs’, they have potential to intertwine recovery for nature and humans.

TNR has moved from a focus on implementing infrastructural changes for wildlife enhancement to engaging communities in using the reserve as a resource for varied learning activities linked to environmental awareness and knowledge, health and wellbeing and wider resilience building. This post is funded through TNR’s Heritage Lottery-funded project entitled: Green Lung 2.0 (GL2.0): Developing TNR as an urban “green lung” for community and nature recovery. This aims to step-change development and delivery of TNR’s Learning and Outreach Strategy in promoting eco-stewardship of the reserve. The citizen science data collected will help inform reserve management. TNR’s objectives are set out in its Strategic Plan 2023-2028, which can be downloaded from: https://tewkesburynaturereserve.org.uk/about-us/strategic-plan/

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Citizen Science Programme Delivery

• Develop and deliver a year-round programme of citizen science activities (e.g., bird surveys, pollinator counts, plant surveys, water quality testing, bat monitoring).
• Produce accessible survey protocols and materials for volunteers.
• Run training workshops and guided monitoring sessions for participants of all ages and abilities.

Volunteer Support & Community Engagement

• Recruit, organise, and support citizen science volunteers involved in monitoring programmes.
• Foster an inclusive, welcoming environment that encourages broad community participation.
• Co-ordinate volunteer rotas, provide ongoing feedback, and hold periodic social celebration or learning events.

Data Management & Reporting

• Ensure collection, validation, and secure storage of ecological data.
• Submit verified data to relevant local and national databases (e.g., Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records, national citizen science schemes).
• Produce summary reports, visualisations, and interpretive materials for reserve management use and public engagement including on-site, in newsletters, or online,

Partnership Working

• Liaise with local authorities, conservation organisations, community groups, schools, and universities to expand monitoring efforts.
• Represent the GL2.0 project at community events, meetings, and local biodiversity networks.

Communications and Outreach

• Produce engaging content (photos, updates, results summaries) for social media, newsletters, and noticeboards.
• Work with other TNR Learning and Outreach staff to develop educational resources for schools, families, and interest groups.
• Support public events such as bio-blitzes, guided walks, or seasonal wildlife days.

General Duties

• Ensure activities comply with health and safety and safeguarding procedures.
• Keep appropriate records of participation and project metrics for evaluation.
• Contribute to funding applications, evaluation reports, and development of the reserve’s long-term citizen science strategy.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the role as required.

Start date: As soon as possible

Closing date: Monday 31st August 2026 (midnight). Interview date is likely to be the week starting 21st September.