Volunteer at Epping Forest
Interested in volunteering?
Please find our current volunteering opportunities below.
Ecological Monitoring 2026
In 2025 we began a program of ecological monitoring designed to collect data on the health of species and habitats within the forest, to inform our management. This started with surveys of butterflies, reptiles and grassland plants that is feeding into a grassland condition assessment and management plan. In 2026 we will continue these surveys while adding surveys of ponds, focused on amphibian populations and the structure of their habitat, with the ultimate aim of producing a pond management strategy at the end of the year.
Recruitment for Ecological monitoring volunteers for the 2026 season has now closed. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this Epping Forest Ecological Monitoring Volunteers - Register your interest webform and one of the conservation team will be in touch with you when recruitment restarts.
Feel free to email any questions to: EFVolunteering@cityoflondon.gov.uk.
Butterfly Transects
We have over 20 butterfly transects covering grasslands and heathlands across the forest. These are fixed routes a few hundred metres long on which every butterfly is counted every two weeks from April to September as part of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. We aim for each transect to be covered by a dedicated group of 5+ volunteers, who share the surveying load, ensuring coverage throughout the season and reducing the survey burden for individual volunteers.
Reptile Surveys
On most of the sites on which we walk butterfly transects, we also carry out reptile surveys. These follow the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust’s National Reptile Survey, and are structured and organised in a similar way, with dedicated volunteer groups. These surveys are carried out 6 times over the course of the summer, 4 times in spring and twice in late summer/autumn.
Grassland Plant Survey
We will be carrying out grassland plant surveys on a subset of grasslands in 2026. This survey involves navigating to randomly selected points in grasslands and recording plant species and vegetation structure in a fixed area around them. This survey should be fairly flexible in terms of the amount and timing of surveying during the summer months. However, it requires good plant identification skills, and some basic botanical knowledge is desirable, although training will be provided.
Pond Surveys
In 2026 we will be running a new set of pond surveys, recording the condition of ponds in the forest (of which we have over 100), and checking for Amphibian activity. Each pond will need to be visited 3-4 times during the season to carry out a survey lasting no more than an hour (in the largest ponds) but more likely 20-30 minutes. This survey should be fairly flexible – volunteers can sign up to do as many visits as they like, to a wide range of ponds spread throughout the forest, although ideally they take charge of a pond’s surveying through the season. Timing should also be fairly flexible, although at least two visits need to be in early spring to search for Frog Spawn, and at least one should be in summer to assess water levels, vegetation structure and other aspects of the habitat.
Role profile
What you will be doing:
- Monitoring by walking a set transect, identifying species
- Orientating using a phone and a map, recoding your data using a paper and submitting the data online from a desktop computer
We are looking for someone who has:
- Experience with identifying species
- Reliability and commitment: We’re looking for someone who can commit to one session per month between March and August inclusive, record good quality data and submit it on time
- Enjoys spending time outdoors!
What you will gain:
- A chance to deepen your knowledge of conservation and build valuable field conservation skills
- Opportunity to spend time in nature, contributing to conservation efforts
Epping Forest Ecological Monitoring Volunteers - Register your interest
What you'll be doing
Volunteer litter pickers do the essential work of keeping the Forest clean, beautiful and healthy.
What we'd like from you
We're looking for volunteers who are:
- enthusiastic about the Forest
- confident and happy working outdoors
What we can offer
- formal recognition of your volunteer hours and, after six months, a reference for employers
- annual volunteer gatherings and away days at our other green spaces
To apply
Sign up on BetterImpact to be a volunteer litter picker.
What you'll be doing
As part of our communications team, you'll be helping us get our message out there as a charity and as a fixture of London's green belt. You'll be helping us to get our posters and newsletters to stakeholder groups and visitors at hubs all around the Forest.
What we'd like from you
We are looking for volunteers who are:
- happy to work outdoors in most weather
- confident finding their way around the Forest and local area on foot and by bike or car
- able to commit three hours once or twice each season
What we can offer
- a formal induction and training
- experience working with a communications team in London's largest green space
- formal recognition of your volunteer hours and, after six months, a reference for employers
- annual volunteer gatherings and away days at our other green spaces
What you'll be doing
At our visitor centres you'll be assisting our staff in offering the Forest's visitors all the things they need to have a great day out here - whether that's giving them information on the Forest, walking them through its history, or helping them find a memento in one of our shops.
What we'd like from you
We are looking for volunteers who are:
- friendly and approachable
- interested in history and/or conservation
- enthusiastic about sharing knowledge with visitors
- flexible and happy to help with different things each day
- able to commit to three hour shifts
What we can offer
- a formal induction and on-the-job training
- plenty of opportunities to learn about the Forest, its history, ecology and how it's managed
- work experience relevant to retail, visitor attractions and heritage services
- formal recognition of your volunteer hours and, after six months, a reference for employers
- annual volunteer gatherings and away days at our other green spaces
If you are interested in doing conservation work in the Forest, there are three voluntary organisations who work in partnership with us that you could join. You can sign up to volunteer with these groups on their websites:
Recruitment for the 2025/2026 Leaky Dams and Tree Planting programme is now closed.
Please keep an eye on our Epping Forest Eventbrite page for details of upcoming activities.
Leaky dam building is expected to recommence in September 2026. All sessions will be available to book via Eventbrite.
If you're interested in a taster at volunteering or you cant commit at this time, please book onto our ad hoc events through our Epping Forest Eventbrite pages.
Epping Forest volunteering organisations
Volunteer with us and help care for Epping Forest by doing conservation work, surveys, patrolling with our Keepers, helping at our visitor centres, and lots more.
We are grateful to the many organisations who volunteer throughout Epping Forest, to help us to protect and conserve this unique ancient woodland:
- The Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers
- The Wren Group
- The Friends of Wanstead Parklands
- Epping Forest Heritage Trust
- The Highams Park Snedders
Have a look above and find out about the type of volunteering organisations that are involved in work with us. If you don't see anything above that interests you, get in touch and we'll see if there's anything else you can help us with.
Corporate Volunteering in Epping Forest
Are you looking for a meaningful and memorable team-building experience?
We’re inviting your organisation to take part in Corporate Volunteering in Epping Forest. A chance to step outside the office and into one of London’s most iconic green spaces. With more ancient trees than any other site in the UK and just a short 30 minute tube, train or car ride from Central London there's no better place to deliver on your CSR goals than Epping Forest. From building leaky dams to tree planting, connect with nature and strengthen collaboration with one of our volunteering packages and provide your teams with a rewarding hands-on experience that helps protect this unique ancient landscape.
We’re now taking bookings for volunteering days - perfect for a team day with purpose. Complete a Corporate Volunteering in Epping Forest - Registration of interest to get involved.
Let’s work together to protect London’s green lung and give your team a day to remember.
