Why should I become a Wild Worker?
Because nature needs your help and helping nature is great way to enhance your own well-being as well. You will learn to better understand the landscape around you and how to care for nature in the right way. You get to meet lots of other people who are passionate about nature too.
What is Wild Work?
An initiative started by SECAD Partnership CLG in 2017, Wild Work supports everyone committed to helping nature; and our particular focus is to connect business, biodiversity and local communities. We also support the work of both local and national organisations involved in the conservation and protection of our natural environment. With our practical expertise, we help people create and care for meadows, woodlands, beaches, rivers and other natural habitats, both in urban and rural settings. We strive to work in line with best practice, with nature and not against nature and we value research as a key component of our work. Our aim is to understand the bigger picture, so we can help people do the right thing.
What does Wild Work aim to do?
To benefit society and nature, we want to foster people’s good will to ensure that our local flora, fauna and habitats are protected, valued and enhanced. We also want people who connect with the Wild Work movement to benefit positively in terms of improved health and well-being.
To educate and raise awareness, we follow a place-based approach, working with nature and the environment in a positive way to have a real and practical impact on environmental issues; because increasing people’s awareness, respect and understanding helps them care more effectively for our natural world.
To support employment activation, we provide quality work experience opportunities for people and aim to contribute to the creation of fulfilling jobs, particularly in the biodiversity sector.
How is Wild Work funded?
With the organisation’s own funds, Wild Work was established by SECAD Partnership, a local development company with charitable status. Wild Work has been generating its own income since, leveraging private investment through Wild Work service offerings to paying clients. In addition to this, the integration of Wild Work approaches are funded through a range of government programmes in areas such as social inclusion and rural development. SECAD are also working with other local development companies, in areas such as Cavan and Limerick, and other agencies and organisations to replicate and further develop the Wild Work model elsewhere. All income generated through Wild Work is re-invested to help people, help nature, help people. We recently secured significant funding from LEADER (EU Co-financed Rural Development Programme) to develop innovative new training experiences.
What is Wild Work’s vision?
In Irish society today there are a range of issues and challenges related to:
- Community well-being
- Biodiversity crisis
- Climate change
When we look at the core reasons behind these major issues, nature stands out as a solution. People’s relationship and understanding of the natural landscape around them is critically important and something which needs fostering.
With local ambition, national ambition and international ambition, Wild Work is proving to be a great solution…
We will continue to make a real impactful difference on societal well-being through helping people, help nature, help people.
And we’ll make money work better for nature to positively impact the biodiversity and climate crises.
What is the difference between nature and biodiversity?
These words do have different meanings, but usually, when we talk about nature, biodiversity and wildlife, we are talking about the same thing; the natural world around us, the local landscape and all the plants and animals that live in it; and the people too!
How are people educated through Wild Work?
We teach people through a positive approach without focusing on the terrible state which many people say the environment is in. Wild Work aims to create solutions that work for people and nature. Whether it’s in the outdoors or online, Wild Work is always about enhancing people’s relationship with their local landscape, immersing people in nature and creating a stimulating environment in which people learn and develop.