A HAMPSHIRE charity is calling on all persons with a taste for the great outdoors.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is looking for volunteers who would like to learn more about traditional countryside skills such as fencing and hedge-laying and to help look after livestock as part of a new scheme.

The Winchester Conservation Skill Project, a Heritage Lottery funded programme, aims to recruit and support volunteers giving them the chance to learn new skills, including plant and animal identification, ecological surveying techniques and first aid.

Anyone over the age of 18 can take part and volunteering takes part every Thursday and will be held at both Winnall Moors and St. Catherine’s Hill, Broughton Down.

The work to be undertaken includes maintaining habitats such as water meadows and chalk grassland, both of which have seen huge losses over the last 60 years, and enhancing the local environment for the benefit of wildlife such as chalkhill blue butterflies, frog orchids and water voles.

Taster sessions will be on offer February 20 and 27. For more information please contact Alex Hogg on 07867 330669 or by email on alex.hogg@hiwwt.org.uk or Rachel Remnant on 07786 777498 or by email on Rachel.remnant@hiwwt.org.uk.