Meet Volunteer Coordinator: Dylan Laidler

Laura Ross

Communications Officer, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

With over 100 people dedicating their time to volunteer at the nature reserve, it's important that we have somebody to support them all. That person is Dylan; our new Volunteer Coordinator.

Tell us a bit about your background

My career history spans a few years, initially starting out in the arts working at the British Museum and then for an antiques newspaper. I’ve spent the latter part of my career working with volunteers at Bedgebury National Pinetum, a beautiful place in Kent with some rare and wonderful trees, where I still work part-time.

What interested you in the Volunteer Coordinator role at Rye Harbour?

I love the nature reserve! It’s a place I visit often to walk, swim or sit in a hide - when the job came up, I couldn’t resist applying.

Why volunteering? Tell us what makes you passionate about it

Volunteers are an amazing group of people, giving their time for free, offering a whole host of expertise that we can use and learn from. Having volunteered myself for a children’s counselling charity, I have seen the difference the input can give to a place. People volunteer for many different reasons, and thank goodness they do.

Did you already have a connection with Rye Harbour? 

I’ve been visiting for around 20 years now. I like to see the sea. Once I’ve done that I’m more relaxed about exploring. I recently went to the Halpin Hide at Castle Water, which was a new discovery for me and a bit of a gem.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role?

Learning about the nature reserve, the landscape and its inhabitants.

What do you think the key challenges might be?

Learning who is who! There are a lot of faces and names to get used to.

Tell us something we might not know about you

I’m learning to knit but I haven’t got very far!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you're interested in volunteering at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, you can find out all you need to know here.