We caught up with one of our ex-volunteers Hattie Jones to find out how her experience at CAT in 2019 has paved the way for her career in conservation.
Hattie joined CAT as a residential volunteer in 2019, just before the pandemic. With a background in zoology and a growing interest in conservation, she was looking to build practical skills – especially in woodland management.
“I’d just come back from two years in New Zealand,” she says. “I wanted to be somewhere in the UK with mountains and a strong sense of community. CAT felt like a good fit.”
Hattie volunteered with CAT’s Woodland and Water Team for just over six months. Her residential placement began with a short course in Sustainable Woodland Management, which gave her a solid introduction to the work ahead.
“We were straight into it – learning from local experts and getting hands-on in the woods.”
During her time at CAT, Hattie helped manage Coed Gwern, CAT’s owned woodland across the road in Eryri National Park, where she used hand tools, cleared paths, and took part in a range of seasonal tasks. She also had the chance to explore her own interests. “I was really into moths, so I set up some moth traps. Others were doing things like Japanese gardening or meadow surveys. It was a really supportive environment.”
The experience helped Hattie build confidence and develop new skills.
“Before CAT, I wasn’t sure how to get into the woodland sector. Volunteering gave me the experience and belief that I could do it.”
After leaving CAT, Hattie completed a chainsaw course with a group of fellow volunteers. That led to a part-time conservation role locally before moving to North Wales to become a ranger and tree nursery manager.
Her current role involves collecting seeds from local woodlands and growing them on for planting in upland areas.
“I’m growing trees to about four feet tall so they can survive grazing by sheep and goats. We’re also working on bringing back rarer species like Aspen.”
Aspen has become a particular focus. “There are only about 60 individual Aspen trees left in North Wales, and they can’t reproduce naturally because the male and female trees are too far apart. We’ve been hand-pollinating catkins – and last year we got the first seeded Aspen in the area in over 500 years.”
Looking back, Hattie says CAT played a big part in shaping her career. “It was such a buzzy place – full of people who wanted to make change. Being around others with the same energy and passion was really inspiring.”
She’s still in touch with many of her fellow volunteers, who’ve gone on to work in areas like regenerative farming, market gardening, climate justice, and ecological fieldwork. “It was a great time,” she says. “CAT gave us all a really strong foundation.”
To find out about CAT’s upcoming volunteer opportunities or to get in touch, visit cat.org.uk/volunteer.
