Portsmouth Museums & Visitor Services
Role: Plant Care Volunteer at Cumberland House Natural History Museum
Purpose of role: To carry out regular checks, monitoring and maintenance of plants and the water feature in Butterfly House at Cumberland House Natural History Museum.
The role involves assisting staff with the following tasks:
· Sweeping up and removal of any dead leaves within the butterfly house and the water feature
· Carrying out a visual inspection of the plants and the growing medium for planting in the butterfly house
· Watering plant beds
· Checking the condition of feeding plants
· Checking for pests and disease and report any concerns
· Reporting on any pupae or caterpillars observed on plants
· Sourcing and propagating plant material
· Monitoring planting and the water feature and reporting any issues
Skills and qualities
· Enthusiasm and commitment for the role
· A willingness to work as part of a team
· A commitment to learn and develop skills
· A knowledge of and a desire to learn about plants
· Good interpersonal skills
Time commitment:
Ideally volunteers would be able to commit to approximately 1-2 hours per day, for a minimum of 1 day a week. This would be at a regular time each week for a period of six months or more but we understand that you will have other commitments on your time. There may also be some weekend and Bank Holiday work. (The museum is closed on Mondays except Bank Holidays).
Support and training:
Volunteering is an excellent opportunity to learn new skills and develop existing ones. You will receive training relevant to your role and ongoing support whilst volunteering. This will include
· initial interview and site visit
· induction programme
· regular meetings and reviews
Training needs will be identified at the interview and may include
· handling of plants
· health and safety
· fire evacuation
· equality and diversity
· safety checks
What will you gain in return?
This is an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand experience in a busy heritage environment whether you are looking for some practical work experience or a friendly environment to learn new skills and share your passion for natural history.
· Experience of working with plants
· Learning new skills related to natural history and museum environment
· Knowledge of the collections on display and natural history/environment
Next steps……
If you are interested in the role please complete and return the application form to Alison McGrigor, Volunteer Co-Ordinator. Once you have completed and returned your application we will arrange an interview and site visit Tel: 02392 834779 or 023 9243 7791
Plant Care Volunteer Cumberland House