A NEW army of green rangers could be roaming around Accrington if conservation experts get their way.

Environmental charity The Prospects Foundation is sending out the recruitment call for raw recruits who can patrol The Coppice, Peel Park or Woodnook Vale in the future.

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Not only will the eco-volunteers learn a host of new skills but they will also gain valuable experience from Prospects officers in the field.

Under the banner of Connecting People to Hyndburn’s Natural Heritage, the foundation secured a grant of £89,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Roger Plum, project officer, said: “We are looking for people who enjoy working outdoors and have some team working skills, good communication skills and practical skills.

“They will need to be observant and be good time keepers and may already have specialist skills that they can use as a conservation ranger.

“We are building up a team of rangers to look after the proposed local nature reserve areas so it may help if they live locally.

“They will get a lot of experience and develop skills to look after their local area, reporting problems so they can be fixed, running activities and leading local walks and undertaking team building exercises.”

The rangers will also be tasked with spreading the word about Prospects’ work in the community and launching their own wildlife surveys.

They may even be called upon to report incidents of fly-tipping or alert the authorities to anti-social behaviour at the nature havens.

Those interested are being asked to commit just a few hours each month towards the venture, which could lead to further qualifications.

Mr Plum said: “There will be specialised training so that the rangers can conduct surveys on seasonal walks such as tree, wildlife and woodland flora identification.

“We will offer certificated training in first aid, health and safety, risk assessment, manual handling, tool handling and task techniques, alongside AQA Unit Award certificates in a range of topics.”

Others can use the scheme in conjunction with HND or NVQ courses. Contact 01254 230348 or e-mail roger.plum@ prospectsfoundation.org.uk.