Family days out with a difference. Help look after the National Park while doing fun activities to understand more about the environment and the special landscapes of the North York Moors.
Interested in visiting different areas of the North York Moors? Would you like to learn new skills as a family? Are you keen to help look after special places and habitats? Most of all, do you want to come and have fun and be active outdoors as a family?
Our Explorer Volunteer families meet twice a month (usually Sunday but some sessions do take place on Saturdays and weekdays in school holidays)), undertaking tasks to help look after the National Park. This could include tree planting, footpath maintenance and vegetation control. All training and PPE is provided and we have a wide range of both adult and child tools.
Through the Explorer Volunteers, we aim to create ‘ambassadors’ of all ages to promote the special qualities the North York Moors and the benefits of spending time outdoors in nature. We achieve these aims by exploring, with children and adults, the different habitats and features within the National Park. Alongside this, the families can choose to work towards gaining the John Muir Award. You can find out more about this on the John Muir Award website.
By giving families opportunities to take part in a range of practical work tasks, we aim to encourage them to consider volunteering regularly in the North York Moors National Park in order to help sustain it for future generations.
Tammy Andrews has been involved with family volunteering at the North York Moors National Park Authority for the last ten years. Tammy said:
"The benefits for families are numerous. There’s the quality time spent together learning new skills, the social interaction with others, the physical exercise and the immersion in the natural world. All of these things can have a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing."
Who can join Explorer Volunteers?
Explorer Volunteers is perfect for families with children aged between about four and 11 years old, but we can be flexible as we know some members of your family may be younger or older. Extended members of your family such as grandparents are also more than welcome to join in!
Do we need to commit to every session?
The number of sessions you attend is entirely up to you as we appreciate that family life can be very busy. All we ask is that you attend a minimum of one session every six months.
Is there a cost?
As volunteers for the North York Moors National Park, there is no cost for families to take part, however you will need to be able to travel to different locations.
Find out more
If you and your family are interested in becoming Explorer Volunteers, please email volunteers@northyorkmoors.org.uk for more information.
The Walker family who are regular Explorer Volunteers said
“We love being outdoors, meeting new people, visiting new places and learning about nature. We really enjoy exploring different environments and making great memories as a family, learning new skills and working as a team.
"Being outdoors with the Explorers really helps our mental health and the tasks we get involved with give us a real sense of achievement.
"Without the Explorers group we would miss out on adventures, new experiences and the feeling of being part of a great volunteering community.”