Lagan Valley Regional Park

02/06/2026

Next to share their volunteer story during Volunteers' Week is Barbara, one of the LVRP Heritage Guides at the Lock Keeper's Cottage. Thanks for sharing your story and for raising the profile of volunteering this week. 😊
"I'm Barbara and I've been volunteering at the Cottage for nine or so years. Volunteering was something I hadn't really considered until I decided to take early retirement. I wondered how I could replace what was a very busy work schedule and opted to look at ways I would be able to support local enterprises/attractions. I often walked my young son along the Lagan towpath and that was where the seed was sown, especially when I saw how how the area at the Lock Keeper's was being developed. I enjoy my 'stint' at the Cottage every week as it's very sociable interacting with folk, imparting the history of the Cottage, and having a good old 'chinwag' is always so interesting. "

02/06/2026

During Volunteers' Week, a number of volunteers across the various volunteer roles within LVRP are sharing their stories of why they volunteer and what volunteering does for them. A big thanks for sharing your unique stories and for promoting the feel good factor of volunteering this week! 😊 Keep an eye on our FB page throughout the week to hear more.
Stephen, LVRP Conservation Volunteer, says: "I enjoy being active and spending time outdoors in nature so for me volunteering with Lagan Valley Regional Park is a natural fit. The park encompasses a beautiful area right on the doorstep of the city, and volunteering gives me the opportunity to help conserve, protect, and maintain it for others to enjoy. Volunteering with the guys allows me to give something back in my spare time while also learning practical conservation skills. My tasks include balsam control, meadow management through scythe and lift, litter picking, bramble control, as well as conservation work at Giant’s Ring and a variety of other duties. It’s really fulfilling to contribute towards preserving local biodiversity and improving the landscape."

01/06/2026

It's Volunteers' Week! Volunteers are at the very heart of LVRP and make up a huge proportion of the LVRP team, allowing us to do so much for local nature and heritage conservation.☺️ From Volunteer Heritage Guides welcoming, educating and entertaining thousands of visitors to the Lock Keeper's Cottage and the Industry Barge every year, to Volunteer Wildlife Surveyors dedicating time to Bumblebee, Butterfly and Daubenton's Bat surveys - whose data feeds into nationwide monitoring schemes which help direct future species conservation efforts; and from Conservation Volunteers teams carrying out conservation and habitat management tasks in woodlands, in grasslands and along the River Lagan, benefitting biodiversity and park visitors alike, to Volunteer Rangers carrying out patrols, reporting in access and wildlife issues to our Ranger Service, and assisting with maintenance tasks and litter lifts, we really can never thank you all enough - for your time, for your hard work and enthusiasm, for your knowledge, for your commitment to the Park, and for your friendships. Thank you all so much and a very Happy Volunteers' Week to you all! 🥳

30/05/2026

20/05/2026

Today is World Bee Day! A massive thanks to Hannah from Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust for the refresher bumblebee ID training session for LVRP Bumblebee Monitoring Volunteers and LVRP staff yesterday. The presentation and Q&A on the Barge were a great boon to the volunteers' and staff's existing skills and confidence, and thankfully the rain broke for long enough to get outside and test out the ID skills on the bumblebees feasting on the beautiful irises at the Lock Keeper's Cottage! 😀 Each year 6 bumblebee transects (fixed 1km walking routes through suitable habitat) are monitored in various areas of the Regional Park by volunteers and staff monthly from March to October as part of the Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme, which is coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, with the aim of driving pollinator conservation through better data, collected by the recording community. A massive thanks to our volunteers for their continued dedication to the monitoring scheme and LVRP. Happy World Bee Day to you all! 😊