Put your green fingers to the test and join our ESF sessions! We are offering weekly training which will award you with Level 1 Practical Horticulture Skills. By carrying out your training with TCV Tree Nursery, you will also be gaining valuable work experience alongside us.
Think it's something you'd like to try? Why not come along to one of our 'taster' sessions, which will provide you with a briefing of what the training involves and give you a chance to get to know a bit more about the Tree Nursery and our fantastic team!
We welcome volunteers Monday - Thursday between the hours of 9.30-3.30.
As the climate here can be unpredictable, taster session are weather dependent. Your safety is our priority and we will always let you know if a session has been cancelled.
Please wear sturdy waterproof shoes/wellies as it will be mucky. We ask that you prepare for cold/wet weather, so bring a waterproof coat and layers! You will be provided
Volunteering at the Tree Nursery is varied and seasonal, let’s start from the beginning.
Seed collecting season starts in July with our first crop – wild cherry which is perhaps our favourite as we get to eat the delicious fruit and save the seeds to become next years young trees.
The season runs right through to December finishing up with hawthorn as we collect the different species as they come into fruit. These seeds are stored, processed, stratified and then sown in seed beds from November to May.
From May to October we tend to our seedlings and young trees in the nursery as well as seed collecting around Northern Ireland.
November to April is bare-root season, our busiest time! Our young trees are dug up by hand, graded bundled and sent off to their new homes.
