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Wild Hides Ranger | Wildlife Photographer and Experience Guide

Job title: Wild Hides Ranger

Responsible to: Wild Intrigue CIC Directors

Salary £12.60 per hour. Wild Intrigue CIC is committed to paying the real UK Living Wage, calculated annually according to the cost of living.

Seasonal Contract: 6 months between January to July 2025 (with possibility of extension)

Part Time: 24 hours (across 3 days) per week

Place of work Wild Haweswater, Lake District National Park

Application Deadline: Sunday 5^th January 2025 11:30pm

Interview Date: Friday 10^th January (at Wild Haweswater)

Who we are

At Wild Intrigue CIC, we’re passionate about immersing people in the lush wildlife, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes of Northern England. For the past decade, we’ve proudly celebrated these regional treasures with thousands of people through our intriguing offerings – from wildlife experiences and photography hides to media projects and community collaborations.

As a Community Interest Company, we are committed to creating positive, lasting change in the places we operate. We believe The North holds immense potential for a thriving, sustainable nature-based economy. To demonstrate this opportunity, we partner with approximately 30 local organisations, producers, and individuals to curate unforgettable, nature-filled moments for locals and visitors alike.

About the Role

In 2020, Wild Intrigue pioneered the first third-party, ethically-operated wildlife photography hides on an RSPB reserve, at the award-winning Wild Haweswater in the Lake District National Park. Since then, we have welcomed hundreds of guests to Wild Haweswater, offering low-impact eco-tourism experiences that allow them to intimately encounter the area’s incredible wildlife and witness inspiring landscape-scale nature restoration, all while contributing to the local economy.

We are looking for a wildlife photographer and guide to join the Wild Intrigue team as our seasonal Wild Hides Ranger at Wild Haweswater.

What you will do:

Your work will be based at Wild Haweswater, predominantly within the semi-ancient Atlantic Oakwood of Naddle Forest.
You will report to Wild Intrigue Directors, with the role predominantly involving lone working based alongside RSPB colleagues at their Wild Haweswater site office (based at Naddle Farm).
Embodying the Wild Intrigue philosophy, you will inspire, educate and rewild our attendees and guests. By integrating storytelling and intriguing science communication, you will deliver memorable guided wildlife experiences from our existing portfolio including;
- Breakfast with Red Squirrels
- Afternoon Tea in the Woodland Hide
- Plus preparing and supporting wildlife photography sessions in our Woodland Wildlife Hide, Pied Flycatcher Hide and other hides which Wild Intrigue may launch within the area.
Create and produce engaging, story driven, site-based media outputs. This will include social media posts, newsletters and short films.
Maintain the wildlife photography hides on site. This will include following and implementing our cleaning and feeding protocols for the wildlife, maintaining cleanliness within the hides and reporting on any maintenance required.
Keep up to date with current ecological, photographic and local projects to enrich the experiences of guests.

The role is for 3 days (24 hours) per week between Wednesday – Sunday, throughout January to July 2025. Working weekends and unsociable hours (early mornings) is a requirement of the role, rotas will be discussed and provided in advance.
The landscape of Wild Haweswater and the area of work is made up of rough tracks, woodland and moorland. You must be comfortable walking over rough, uneven and steep terrain. Toilet and kitchen facilities are available to use on site in the RSPB office.

What you will bring:

Here at Wild Intrigue we have always followed the famous Geordie saying, ‘Shy bairns get nowt’. It has moulded our small social enterprise into what we are today; from how we craft our experiences to the ways we inspire change. We believe that everything can be learnt, with the magic combination of support, training and – of course – an intrigue for the wilds. For this reason, we don’t require applicants to have formal training or qualifications for this role.

Here’s an insight into what we’d like to see in our Wild Hides Ranger:

A passion for ethical wildlife photography.
Hunger to learn and research, to enquire and develop new knowledge, ideas and interests.
Passion for sharing wildlife with others by communicating scientific literature, local conservation stories and personal wildlife experiences in an inspiring way.
Professional, considerate attitude; to the role, experiences attendees, wildlife hide guests and our partners.
Creative, curious, entrepreneurial spirit.
Comfort in lone working, with our support, and whilst being part of a wider on-site community at Wild Haweswater.
Ability to commute to Wild Haweswater (RSPB Haweswater) in all weathers.
Adaptable, always offering a warm welcome for our attendees and guests.

What we will provide:

To help you to provide the best experiences for our attendees and guests, and for you to make the most of your role as Wild Hides Guide, Wild Intrigue will provide:

Uniform, suitable for an unpredictable Lake District environment.
Option to use one day a month within your role to volunteer with the RSPB at Wild Haweswater.
Outdoor First Aid Training.
Food Awareness Training.
An overnight stay at the local community pub, The Mardale Inn.
Access to relevant books and literature.
CPD opportunities to enrich your interests in wildlife and media.
Option to enrol in a Pension Scheme.
Paid holiday leave.

There will also be an opportunity to be involved in wider Wild Intrigue CIC projects.