You can meet the rangers of Malvern Hills Trust out and about on your Easter break.
Rangers Mike, Rich, Simon and Angela are out in all weathers on the Malvern Hills and Commons. They regularly assist in emergency situations, like ensuring public safety when a vehicle caught fire at British Camp car park in February.
The rangers’ recent activities have included clearing a large fly tip at Hayslad Spring, which is a popular beauty spot. They rescued some fox cubs at The Wyche that had been abandoned - now being cared for at a local wildlife hospital.
In the early days, the Ranger of the Conservators would receive orders direct from the Chair on their annual walkabout on the hills. In fact, the lead officer in the Conservators was called Ranger as recently as the 1990s, when they had a foreman and wardens on the workforce. Nowadays, the original Ranger role is called the Chief Executive Officer. Our CEO still manages the wardens, who will be called rangers from April 2025.
The new name better reflects what the Trust’s countryside rangers do, like managing and looking after our Hills and Commons and wildlife habitats, while also ensuring public access and enjoyment.
The modern ranger role involves undertaking regular patrol duties and practical tasks across all the land managed by the Malvern Hills Trust. These include assisting and guiding members of the public, monitoring public use of the land (car parks, paths and open areas and public events) and compliance with the byelaws that apply. The rangers also undertake practical habitat and estate maintenance tasks and coordinate and lead volunteer activities. They care for the landscape, wildlife and archaeological features found on the land.
It’s never a dull day as a Malvern Hills Trust ranger and, if you’d like to join our team, please take a look at our vacancy here
Pictured: Ranger Mike Price with Deborah Fox, CEO in new look ranger tops.
