South West Lakes Trust

23/06/2026

Burrator Job Opportunity 📣

South West Lakes Trust are looking for a new Burrator Ranger!

As part of the Trust’s Ranger Team, you will deliver safe public access and positive, informative visitor experiences alongside caring for the environment and maintaining to a standard of excellence, the facilities and grounds at Burrator and across west Dartmoor.

This is a permanent position, 40 hours per week to include weekends, Bank Holidays and evenings per week.

Apply on our website: https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/join-the-team

22/06/2026

🌿 Invasive Species Week starts TODAY 🌿

Looking for ways to help protect our beautiful local environments? We’ve got you covered. All this week, we’ll have a dedicated stand set up at the Roadford Lake Visitor Centre!

Stop by to chat with us, learn all about our Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) work and find out exactly how you can get involved.

We’ve got a packed lineup of themes to help you become a biosecurity champion:

📅 What’s Happening This Week

Monday 22 June: Welcome to Invasive Species Week 👋

Tuesday 23 June: Volunteering & recording 📝

Wednesday 24 June: Check, Clean, Dry 🧼

Thursday 25 June: Be Plant Wise 🌸

Friday 26 June: Responsible pet ownership 🐾

Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 June: Take part! (help our environment team safeguard our habitats) 🙌

💡 Did you know? Small actions can make a massive difference in protecting our native wildlife from invasive species.

Whether you're a walker, a gardener, a pet owner or just love the great outdoors, there’s something for everyone. Come visit the stand, grab some info and help protect our ecosystems.

18/06/2026

Help us monitor the health of Colliford Lake 🐟

We are looking for volunteers to take part in a citizen science research study measuring water quality at local freshwater reservoirs, including Colliford! No scientific background required.

This is a research study coordinated by Plymouth Marine Laboratory, evaluating citizen science tools and methods — not a citizen science monitoring campaign. This study investigates whether low-cost smartphone-based tools can be used effectively by everyday volunteers to monitor water quality in freshwater reservoirs.

Become a volunteer on our project and help to:
📒 Complete surveys
👩‍💻 Attend short online training sessions
📏 Take field measurements at your assigned reservoir site (using your phone)

Why take part?
• Freshwater reservoirs supply drinking water to millions of people across the UK.
• Changes in watercolor, clarity, and algal activity can signal important shifts in water quality that affect drinking water safety, wildlife, and recreation.
• Volunteers like you can help with water quality monitoring by collecting valuable real-world data using simple smartphone-based tools.
• Your local knowledge, combined with simple measurement tools, will produce useful data on user experience and provide recommendations for improvements.

Send us an email at [email protected] if you would like to take part. 📩

Register by the end of June 2026 to be included in the first group!

15/06/2026

📅 Save the Date: Roadford Lake Summer Fair – Sunday 5 July 2026

Mark your calendars because our Summer Fair is shaping up to be a fantastic day by the water. The ultimate way to embrace the season with family and friends. 😎

Whether you're a family of adventurers or just looking to relax by the water, we’ve got something for everyone (even canine companions! 🐕).

Here’s what’s on the lineup from 11am - 4pm:

🛍️ Unique local crafts & artisan stalls

🎶 Live music by the lake

🛶 Watersports for the adventure-seekers

🦋 Nature & wildlife trail

🎣 Fishing fun for the family with free demos

🎯 Classic carnival and lawn games

🍰 Delicious food from our Cafe

🐶 Plenty of scenic trails for your furry friends

The best part? Entry AND parking are completely FREE!

Want to showcase your talent? We are actively looking for local producers, craftspeople, charities and musicians to exhibit on the day. Fill in the form on our website if you'd like to have a stall at our event.

Find out more on our website: https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/Event/roadford-lake-summer-fair

12/06/2026

Get unlimited access to launch at all five of our stunning lakes today!

Become a South West Lakes Trust Launch Member and launch your own watersports kit at Roadford, Siblyback, Stithians, Tamar and Wimbleball. 🛶

Buy once and you can return time and time again.

Whether you are looking for adventure, seeking solitude, or maybe just want to enjoy time out on the water with friends, our beautiful lakes offer a safe and convenient environment to launch and have fun! ⛵

Membership includes benefits such as:
● 20% off pre-booked equipment hire
● 20% off pre-booked guest self-launch
● 20% off camping across all five Activity Centre campsites
● 20% off day fishing tickets
● 10% discount at Roadford café

Find out more on our website 👇
https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/self-launch-and-launch-membership

11/06/2026

We are thrilled to announce that we will be attending the upcoming SUPER Festival 2026! 🏄

If you are planning to attend, please come visit our stall. We will be hosting a special competition for attendees. 🏆

You can also get involved in the event - You can sign up to volunteer at the 2026 ICF SUP World Cup & Paddle UK SUPER Festival! It’s a fantastic opportunity to get behind the scenes of a world-class sporting event.

Head over to the official event page to learn more about volunteering and tickets: https://superfestival.paddleuk.org.uk/

See you there!

Join the world’s top paddlers in Torbay for the ICF SUP World Cup 2026 and SUPER Festival – 5 day mix of elite sport and coastal padding fun.

10/06/2026

Take part in a wildlife survey! 🦆🐞

Join our free Bird and Butterfly Survey Day at Fernworthy Reservoir on Monday, 22 June 2026.

Times: 8:30am (meeting at Fernworthy car park) to 2.00pm

What's Happening?
During this fun and educational event, we’ll be identifying and recording as many birds and butterfly species as possible within a designated area. It's a great opportunity to learn about biodiversity while contributing valuable data that helps protect local ecosystems.

What to bring?
🥾 Comfortable outdoor clothing and sturdy shoes.
🧢 Outdoor appropriate equipment- prepare for the weather (sun hat, raincoat, etc..)
🥪 Food and drink

We will provide ID guides and species information so no previous knowledge required.

To sign up please contact [email protected] to let us know you would like to attend.

09/06/2026

This beautiful image of Longham Lakes from the 2025 South West Lakes Trust’s Love Your Lakes photography competition was submitted by Linda Martin. 📸

Take a look at those stunning cloud reflections on the North Lake! ⛅

06/06/2026

A wonderful message from a recent Fernworthy vistor ❤️

"It was lovely for my family and I to meet Rangers Dill and Mark at Fenworthy Reservoir last Friday. We really appreciate the work you've done in championing accessibility for this beautiful place.

Dad is pretty adventurous on his Tramper but unfortunately, it can just be a small section of a route (narrow opening or gate, locked entryway, large rocks, tree roots etc.) that means he can't access an area which can be very disappointing.

Dad really enjoyed exploring the reservoir and we couldn't believe our luck when you explained that the new accessible gate had literally just been installed!

Photo 1 = 😁

Photo 2 shows a bridge that Dad was just about able to get over but it would be really helpful if just a small ramp could be installed.

Photo 3 shows a particularly rocky section that we doubted a 4 wheel mobility scooter could pass (but Dad's 3 wheeler made it!).

We just wanted to say thank you again for all your accessibility efforts and to emphasise that it was a really big deal for Dad (and hopefully lots of other Tramper users) to be able to navigate all the way around the reservoir.

We look forward to visiting again when we're next in the area!"

Thank you so much Lucy for your feedback, we look forward to continuing our work to help more people access our grounds. ♿

05/06/2026

Check out our Bioblitz events happening next week! 🪲

Tomorrow marks the start of The Big Green Week, running from 6th to 14th June 2026. This is a nationwide celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.

We invite you to get involved and help fill the week with green activities. 👇

The South West Lakes Trust are holding many exciting events including two Bioblitz!

A Bioblitz is a great opportunity to observe and document wildlife in various habitats, offering valuable insights into the species that call our site home. It's a great way to learn more about nature while making a meaningful contribution to conservation science. 🌿

Join us for our events happening in Devon:
Roadford Lake Bioblitz - Wednesday, 10 June
Burrator Reservoir Bioblitz - Thursday 11 June

Visit our What's On page for more information: https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/Listing/Category/whats-on