Become a
Wildlife Guardian with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Wildlife Guardians are a community of dedicated supporters who choose to play a leading role in protecting Wiltshire's wildlife and critical habitats. With an annual donation of £1,500 / £125 a month, you'll help us tackle some of the biggest challenges facing nature, while enjoying a closer connection with the Trust and the people behind our work.
Will you join us by leading the way and being a Wildlife Guardian for Wiltshire? Join online today or scan the QR code: wiltshirewildlife.org/your-membership
Step beyond the footpaths Some of Wiltshire's most remarkable places are rarely seen by the public. And our most exciting conservation projects happen quietly, behind the scenes, guided by our experts working every day to restore nature. Our new programme of Wildlife Guardian Walks and Talks has been created especially for members who want to deepen their understanding of conservation and experience nature in a way that few people can. Join our specialists in the field as they share their knowledge, reveal the stories behind our projects and offer unique opportunities to see wildlife conservation in action.
All walks are exclusively for Wildlife Guardians, but places are limited, so advance booking is essential. Email fundraising@wiltshirewildlife.org to save your place! Please note: Walk dates, venues and subject matter may change depending on weather and conditions on our reserves.
Walk 1: West Chisenbury 5 October 2026 | Alice Eley, Head of Freshwater One of our most exciting freshwater restoration projects is at West Chisenbury and delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Defence on Salisbury Plain. This interactive visit includes the opportunity to take water quality samples alongside our team and gain exclusive access to an area that is rarely open to the public.
Walk 2: Bechstein’s Bats 26 February 2027 | Matt Callaway, Green Lane Woodland Warden Join us for fascinating day exploring Green Lane Wood in search of signs of one of Britain's rarest woodland mammals – the Bechstein's Bat. Learn how our team monitors these elusive creatures, discover the innovative veteranisation work creating new roosting habitat, and put your new skills into practice using torches and endoscopes to inspect bat roosts alongside our experts.
Bonus Experience: Bird Ringing Spring 2027 | Jonny Cooper, Farmland Bird Programme Lead This exclusive Wildlife Guardian opportunity offers a rare chance to accompany our licensed bird ringer, Jonny, as he monitors wild bird populations. These small-group visits will be arranged on an ad hoc basis during the spring ringing season, often at short notice and with limited spaces. Let us know if you'd like to be included, and we'll do our best to match you to an opportunity in your area. An unforgettable chance to see conservation science up close!
Walk 3: Chalk Rivers 10 June 2027 | Connor Stapleton-Goddard, Freshwater Delivery Manager Learn about one of our restored chalk river projects with a guided walk along the re-meandered channel at Smallbrook Meadows. We’ll look for signs of water voles and explore how restoring natural river processes benefits wildlife. For those feeling adventurous, there will be the opportunity to borrow a pair of waders and walk in the channel itself – accessing parts of the river that few people ever experience. A dry-land route is also available!
Walk 4: Swindon Lagoons September 2027 | Neil Pullen, Conservation Lead, Swindon Explore this remarkable wetland that is normally closed to the public. Once a water treatment works, Swindon Lagoons is now managed by the Trust on behalf of Thames Water and has become an important haven for wildlife. Join our Conservation Lead for Swindon, Neil Pullen, as he shares the story of this thriving site, where egrets, sandpipers, otters, water voles and great crested newts all find a home. Drawing on his 25 years of experience, Neil will reveal how careful conservation management has transformed this hidden landscape for nature.
Walk 5: Horse Logging at Ravensroost October 2027 | Nick Self, Conservation Lead, North Wiltshire Experience one of Britain's oldest woodland management traditions at this beautiful reserve. Witness working horses carefully extracting timber from this Site of Special Scientific Interest, a traditional technique that protects fragile habitats far better than machinery. Discover how this centuries-old practice helps conserve one of Wiltshire's finest ancient woodlands and the rare wildlife that depends upon it.