Milford Conservation Volunteers

About

Milford on Sea Conservation Volunteers (MSCV) is a local group of people dedicated to conserving and improving the parish’s wildlife and environment. In 2020, it was awarded the prestigious ‘Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service’ to the community, equivalent to an MBE.

Milford on Sea sits between the New Forest National Park and the Isle of Wight and has one of the most interesting coastlines in Hampshire, especially if you enjoy nature, and in particular, birdwatching.

The volunteers work on local projects to improve the local environment across the parish and report on local wildlife activity. It helps the local authorities look after Milford on Sea’s three local nature reserves; including the Pleasure Grounds (woodlands), Studland Common with its community orchard, scrub and glades and Sturt Pond with extensive reedbeds.

It holds various social interactive activities, such as ‘Birding for Beginners’ sessions at its two bird hides at Sturt Pond and the Pans Wetlands. During winter months, the volunteers take birders onto the saltmarshes on a Dory (the flat bottomed boat that gets into the narrow nooks and crannies) for its ‘Creeks & Saltmarsh’ trips.

The area also boasts the most spectacular birding experience from Keyhaven to Lymington (4-mile level walk) along the sea wall overlooking the Solent, Hurst Castle and the Isle of Wight. The world-renowned nature reserve between Keyhaven and Lymington has extensive inter-tidal lagoons, saltmarsh and shingle islands upon which many thousands of birds winter.

If you are energetic and have a real interest in conserving nature then there’s a chance for you to join in at one of the volunteer sessions, you will be made very welcome. The volunteers also undertake tree thinning, tree planting, coppicing, glade and scrub clearances, footpath maintenance and record Milford’s extensive wildlife so plenty to get involved with.