Throughout the year there will be opportunities to volunteer at the University's Forest and Peatland sites. Local residents, community groups, students and staff are welcome. Opportunities can be found on this page, which will be regularly updated. Upcoming opportunitiesCheck out the current opportunities below, it's a great opportunity to get involved, learn new skills, meet new people and help nature. Tree planting at Rullion Green Wood - Friday 14 and Saturday 15 November Join us to plant 150 trees at Rullion Green Wood. We will be planting beech and oak trees to improve woodland connectivity. The volunteer days will run from 10am-3pm and will involve preparing the ground, and planting trees with stakes and guards. The day will involve manual handling, tool use and walking to the area. If you would like to come along, please read the important information and sign up using the form below.Important Info Volunteer days will run from 10am-3pm.All tools and equipment provided.No previous experience needed.There will be minibus transport picking up from Edinburgh city centre, Hillend and Flotterstone car park to take volunteers to the tree planting location.You must be 16 years old or over to volunteer.Volunteers to bring a packed lunch and drinking water / hot drinks.You should wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, have sturdy footwear and bring waterproof clothes in case of rain.Places are limited and spaces must be booked in advance. If the event is over-subscribed we will operate a wait list.Volunteers are required to fill in a registration form to help us keep everyone safe. Travel expenses will be reimbursed up to a maximum of £35.The Community Ranger will be in touch with volunteers to confirm the details the week before the volunteer days.Please note that photography and/or videography may be taking place during volunteering activities. Please speak to the Community Ranger if you would not like to be in any photography or videography. Accessibility Information The activity level will be moderate. Everyone can work on tasks that they are comfortable with, and we will have regular breaks.Reasonable fitness is required as there will be tool use, manual handling and walking on uneven, rough ground.We will be working in small groups and most people won't know each other. We are parking near a private residence, so we want to keep the number of vehicles to a minimum. If you want to make your own way rather than taking the minibus please let the Community Ranger know in advance.There are no toilets on site. The closest public toilets are at Flotterstone Car Park, a 5 minute drive away.If you are not able to submit the online registration form, an alternative format can be provided. Please contact the Community Ranger.Please get in touch with the Community Ranger (Community.Ranger@ed.ac.uk) if you have any questions or accessibility requirements. Sign up for tree planting Tree monitoring and tree planting preparation at Drumbrae – Friday 28 November 2025 Join us to help monitor trees and prepare the ground for some more trees! During this volunteer day we will be monitoring trees planted as part of a project with the Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh. This will involve weeding around the trees, checking the condition of the tree and recording if the trees are dead / alive and measuring their height etc. We will also be preparing some planting spots that will be used when local primary school pupils come to plant trees the following week. This would involve using spades and mattocks to remove the grass and loosen the soil. The volunteer day will run from 10am-3pm and the day will involve manual handling, tool use and walking on rough, uneven ground. If you would like to come along, please read the important information and sign up using the form below.Important Info Volunteer day will run from 10am-3pm.All tools and equipment provided.No previous experience needed.You must be 16 years old or over to volunteer.Volunteers to bring a packed lunch and drinking water / hot drinks.You should wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, have sturdy footwear and bring waterproof clothes in case of rain.Places are limited and spaces must be booked in advance. If the event is over-subscribed we will operate a wait list.Volunteers are required to fill in a registration form to help us keep everyone safe.Travel expenses will be reimbursed up to a maximum of £35.The Community Ranger will be in touch with volunteers to confirm the details the week before the volunteer days.Please note that photography and/or videography may be taking place during volunteering activities. Please speak to the Community Ranger if you would not like to be in any photography or videography. Accessibility Information The activity level will be moderate. Everyone can work on tasks that they are comfortable with, and we will have regular breaks.Reasonable fitness is required as there will be tool use, manual handling and walking on uneven, rough ground.We will be working in small groups and most people won't know each other.There are no toilets on site. The closest public toilets are in Bridge of Allan.Volunteers need to be able to get to the meeting place for 10am.A google pin to the meeting point is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mjDoGFCWXYZtAY1T7Please note there is no public transport to Sheriffmuir Road. Parking is available on Sheriffmuir Road and Pendreich car park.We encourage car sharing but can't guarantee that lifts will be available.If you are not able to submit the online registration form, an alternative format can be provided. Please contact the Community Ranger.Please get in touch with the Community Ranger (Community.Ranger@ed.ac.uk) if you have any questions or accessibility requirements. Sign up for tree monitoring If there are no opportunities listed, you can sign up to the mailing list to be kept updated by emailing Community.Ranger@ed.ac.uk. You can see photos of our past volunteer events in the Community section of our StoryMap and find more information in our news page.StoryMapVolunteering NewsFor more information about volunteering with the Forest and Peatland programme take a look at our Volunteer Handbook below. Volunteering on Dumyat Hill 2024 Volunteer Handbook This article was published on 2024-10-01
