New Forest Volunteer Ecological Surveyor Programme (VESPA)

1. Introduction

The New Forest Biodiversity Forum has launched a New Forest Volunteer Ecological Surveyor Programme (VESPA), which aims to increase the quantity and quality of biological data collected from the New Forest National Park, and to increase the capacity and capability of the local community to help collect these data.

2. Why do we need VESPA?

Although the New Forest has long been recognised as a ‘jewel in the crown’ for biodiversity, species recording is patchy both geographically and between different species groups. Even relatively well-recorded species groups like birds show a strong bias towards popular sites, and outside of statutory monitoring only a handful of dedicated ornithologists are delivering more systematic multi year surveys that allow us to assess trends and have confidence in species’ status. In addition, the recording of more challenging species groups such as fungi, lichens, bats, and many invertebrates is based upon the efforts of a very small number of expert surveyors, who are not getting any younger! We therefore need to encourage and support new generations of ecological surveyors to help build future capacity.

The New Forest is facing multiple pressures, from the many effects of climate change through to acute issues such as pollution, intensification of land use, and invasive non native species. These pressures are driving rapid change in New Forest habitats and species, making access to accurate and up-to-date data vital for effective decision making by those responsible for managing and protecting this extraordinary landscape.

In addition, VESPA aims to remove barriers that might hinder ecological surveyors from accessing the open forest, such as requirements for permits and insurance, and to support new surveyors who would benefit from training, guidance and access to a network. It’s also clear that funding and logistical constraints are making it ever harder for young ecologists and conservationists to gain field survey experience through the education system, and so VESPA will provide this opportunity as part of a structured programme.

3. How will VESPA be structured?

VESPA forms part of the New Forest Biodiversity Forum (NFBF), sponsored by Kairos Philanthropy Fund. The programme is coordinated by Wild New Forest, an independent not-for-profit community interest company who are the hosting partner of the NFBF. The NFBF Steering Group has oversight of the VESPA programme and will provide ongoing evaluation.  

Wild New Forest have signed a five year Partnership Agreement with Forestry England that enables us to coordinate volunteer activity on the Crown Lands of the New Forest (this includes the majority of the ‘open forest’ that is covered by various nature conservation designations). The Crown Lands will therefore be the focus for this inaugural year of VESPA, but we hope that other landowners will come on board in future years to enable access to and recording within these connected habitats.

To inform VESPA development, we ran a workshop at the recent New Forest Biodiversity Conference, which brought together 100 local practitioners working in biodiversity and conservation. The workshop explored what makes a successful volunteer scheme and identified a series of topics that were deemed to be a high priority for volunteer based surveys in the New Forest. The outputs of this engagement have helped to inform the structure and priority topics for VESPA. Over the last few months, we have also engaged with the team running the Purbeck Natural History Forum to learn from their successes and failures, as they have been running a popular and effective volunteer programme for several years.

4. Who is VESPA for?

VESPA is open to anyone who is interested in conducting ecological surveys in the New Forest, at any experience level from novice to expert. We will ensure that, as a registered VESPA participant, you will be covered by all the required permits and insurance to conduct fieldwork on the Crown Lands. In return, we ask that VESPA surveyors commit to supporting one or more of our priority topics and/or attending the associated training and/or submitting their records to an appropriate repository to ensure they are available for future conservation efforts.

We anticipate that many VESPA participants will be local enthusiasts who are already engaged in ecological surveys and who will have prior experience of conducting fieldwork in the New Forest, but who seek to benefit from the insurance cover and permissions provided by VESPA registration. However, we also welcome students and novice enthusiasts wishing to gain experience and training in ecological surveys and/or to engage in a more structured survey programme based around our priority topics.

5. What are the 2025 priority topics?

For 2025, we plan to focus effort on the following topics

• New Forest Nature Discovery Day - we are supporting this event that will take place on 26 May 2025 at Wilverley and is being coordinated by our partners at Forestry England. There are opportunities to get involved in guided walks and other activities led by experts, and we’re also keen for VESPA participants to contribute to species recording. Further details here. This activity will be suitable for all abilities.

• Raptor monitoring - to support the work of the New Forest Raptor Monitoring Group, we will be offering training and encouraging volunteer surveyors to survey and monitor their local sites, with a focus on Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Honey Buzzard, and Hobby. This activity will be suitable for ornithologists of any experience level who already have the required equipment, i.e. binoculars and ideally a telescope.

• Nocturnal moth trapping - moths are massively under-recorded on the open forest, but they are a key component of the ecosystem and are undergoing rapid climate driven change, we will therefore be establishing a WhatsApp group for experienced moth enthusiasts with mobile moth-trapping equipment to coordinate effort and target under-recorded sites with good quality habitat. This activity will be suitable for those who already have the relevant equipment and experience for moth trapping on the open forest.

• Dragonflies and damselflies - this summer, our colleagues at Freshwater Habitats Trust will be investigating the impacts of ‘spot on’ chemical flea treatments for dogs on aquatic invertebrates in New Forest ponds. To complement this work, we will aim to deliver surveys for adult dragonflies and damselflies at the target sites, to assess whether there are measurable differences between sites with high levels of dog dipping and those without. This activity will be suitable for those who can already identify most of the dragonfly and damselfly species present in the New Forest.

• Wild Honeybees - as preparation for a future research project, we are keen to identify active nests of free living ‘wild’ Honeybees on the open forest, with a particular focus on the ancient Beech and Oak woodlands. This activity will be suitable for all abilities.

• Finally, our colleagues at Freshwater Habitats Trust will be delivering a variety of volunteer based surveys this year (see here), and we will be working closely with them and Forestry England to ensure these activities are coordinated and have minimal impact on sensitive habitats and species.

These topics will evolve in future years, in response to policy requirements and other opportunities and suggestions.

6. What kinds of data will VESPA participants be collecting?

VESPA participants will primarily be engaged in visual walkover and fixed point surveys only. Surveys on the Crown Lands that require sampling of specimens (alive or dead) or that require unaccompanied monitoring equipment to be left on site will require a separate permit from Forestry England. Surveys coordinated by our colleagues at Freshwater Habitats Trust may involve collection of water samples and/or require access to sensitive wetland sites, but this will only be conducted after training and guidance have been provided.

7. Where should data collected by VESPA participants be submitted?

We will be strongly encouraging all VESPA participants to record their sightings, either independently to an appropriate data hub, or via their coordinator if supporting a priority topic. We have provided guidance on species identification and recording in the New Forest here.

8. What insurance cover is provided?

With the support of NFBF funding, Wild New Forest has secured the following insurance cover for registered VESPA participants in 2025:

• £10M Public Liability Insurance, which is a requirement of anyone undertaking work on the Crown Lands and provides cover against injury, loss, or damage caused to any third party and their property arising from acts of negligence by VESPA coordinators or participants

• £10M Employers Liability Insurance, which provides cover against claims by VESPA participants arising from accidental injury, illness, or death while undertaking VESPA activities

9. What other policies are in place to support and protect volunteers?

As part of the Partnership Agreement with Forestry England, and as part of our duty of care to VESPA participants, we have produced a volunteer information pack that that includes a risk assessment and policies including:

• Lone working policy

• Safeguarding policy

• Emergency procedures

10. Will VESPA include frontline conservation work or guided wildlife tours?

No, VESPA aims to fill a niche that specifically relates to ecological survey and monitoring, in line with the aims of the NFBF. Several existing schemes already provide opportunities for volunteers to support frontline conservation work in and around the New Forest (see here). In addition, Wild New Forest Guided Tours (a separate spin-out company from Wild New Forest) provide a wide variety of guided tour offerings through the year. 

11. What feedback will VESPA participants receive?

We are intending to have a VESPA wrap-up meeting towards the end of 2025, to share knowledge and experience, and to get feedback from participants in advance of releasing the 2026 programme. We will also seek to include significant species records obtained by VESPA participants in the monthly news updates that are distributed via the New Forest Biodiversity Forum (sign up here).

12. How do I register for VESPA?

First, download and read the VESPA volunteer information pack at the link below:

VESPA_volunteer_info_pack.pdf

Download PDF • 132KB

Then complete the online VESPA registration form here. Once you are registered, we will keep you updated about training opportunities and events, including those relating to any priority topics that you have expressed interest in. Note that registration will initially be for calendar year 2025 only, and we will ask participants for feedback on their participation as outlined above before renewing their registration in future years.