Monday 17 August 2015
Media Enquiry from Guernsey Press:
Can the department please answer the following questions regarding the volunteer warden scheme that is being rolled out in Castel?
-Can you firstly confirm that the scheme will only be taking place in Castel at present?
-What duties will the volunteer wardens have to undertake?
-How many people are you looking to take on as volunteer wardens?
-Which locations will be monitored by the wardens, what will they be looking for and how many hours per day/week will they be volunteering?
-Do volunteers need to have any specific experience or is it open to anyone?
-Why did the department want to introduce the scheme?
-When will is start?
Environment Department Response:
The Environment Department is piloting a Warden scheme in the Castel parish to help support the work of the Department in the management of the land it is responsible for, including land owned by the Crown. A full time Field Officer is currently employed to do regular inspections which form an integral part of looking after and managing the land. The role of Wardens will be to help support the work of the Field Officer by:
Walking areas of land managed by the Department and record anything from anti-social behaviour to the condition of property;
Recording information on times, dates, location and a short description of what the warden finds;
Liaising with the Department as the primary contact. Police and Parish Constables will also be contacted if required;
Providing a visible presence and be distinguishable by wearing high visibility tabards supplied by the Environment Department.
If the Scheme proves successful consideration will be given to extending the Scheme to other parishes. The Environment Department believes that by working together with the parish and the community in this way it can make the best use of the resources it has available without increasing costs.
The Castel parish was chosen to trial the Scheme because of the number of places and amenities that come under the responsibility of the Department including Saumarez Park, Mare de Carteret Nature Trail, St Germain Nature Trail as well as several beaches including Cobo, Vazon and Grandes Rocques.
The Department is looking to recruit up to four Wardens for the pilot scheme and will start once the first Warden is recruited. No previous experience is required to become a Warden however there will be a selection process for candidates. Basic training will be provided.
There are no set times or dates for Wardens to operate within. The idea is that they could carry out their duties at the same time as other pursuits such as walking and dog walking. It is anticipated that the pilot will run for about six months.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a Warden or wants to find out more about the Scheme is asked to contact the Environment Department env@gov.gg or Tel: 717200.
Contact Information:
Environmental Services Unit
Environment Department
Tel: 717200
