The volunteers working their magic out at Wheldrake Ings

The group of 20 or so volunteers who, all morning, have been busily at work repairing the boardwalk that snakes through reeds to Pool Hide fling themselves down beside the path while they tuck into their sandwiches.

It's an idyllic spot for a well-earned lunch. The sun beats down, and all around the reeds stretch into the distance, rustling in the wind and alive with birdsong.

There are all kinds of birds who make this unique habitat their home. Earlier in the year, when the Ings are flooded, they are home to thousands of water fowl - ducks, geese, waders, shovellers, swans, even heron - all wading and bobbing and dabbing on the waters.

Even in early summer, some water fowl remain. But the rustling reeds are now home to sedge, reed and willow warblers, and reed and sedge bunting: tiny dun-coloured birds that are hard to see against the dry grasses.

They're birds that are grouped together in a category generally, if not entirely scientifically, referred to as 'little brown jobs', jokes John Wollaston, one of two Yorkshire Wildlife Trust field officers who are in charge of today's work party.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust field officer John Wollaston keeps an eye peeled for bird life. Photo: Nigel Holland

Little and brown the birds may be: but their song, combined with the beating of the sun and the soporific rustling of the reeds in the light breeze, make this a wonderfully drowsy spot for lunch.

The boardwalk that the volunteers have been working on all morning is the only way of reaching Pool Hide - the most remote of the nature reserve's four hides, and the best place for bird-watching.

The final section of the boardwalk has been out of action for some time. It simply rotted over time, says Andy Cochrane, the second of the two Yorkshire Wildlife Trust field officers in charge today. Signs have been in place warning that the boardwalk is closed. "But some people have still been fighting their way through," Andy admits.

Hopefully, that won't be necessary too much longer. Thanks to the efforts of the volunteers, the boardwalk should be fully repaired by the autumn.

All morning, they have been digging post-holes, laying down planks, and covering them with chicken wire to provide better grip.

It has been hot, thirsty, satisfying work. Over lunch, the volunteers - most of them retired - relax and chat idly.

It is amazing how much you learn about wildlife, and about the cycle of the seasons, by doing work like this, says Martin Parvin, a retired water engineer who has been a volunteer for about 10 years. "I've learned a lot about plants and birds. There are some very knowledgeable people amongst the staff and volunteers."

Mags Betts, who used to do deliveries for Royal Mail, agrees. Until you take part in something like this, you just don't realise how the natural world - and our stewardship of it - works, she says. She was horrified the first time she was asked to cut down trees - until she realised that some trees were just taking over everywhere, and needed to be controlled to give others a chance.

Volunteers enjoy lunch amongst the reeds at Wheldrake Ings

Mags was encouraged to become a volunteer more than four years ago by a receptionist at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust offices in York where she used to deliver the post. She decided to give it a go, because she 'needed something to do.'

"I came one wet Wednesday in February ... and I've been coming ever since!" she says.The volunteers here call themselves the 'BWs' - for 'busy Wednesdays'. They meet up every Wednesday, in all weathers, to do whatever work is needed - not just at Wheldrake Ings, but at other local nature reserves managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust: Askham Bog, Strensall Common, Moorlands. "We even go to Flamborough when we're lucky," says Judy Hodgson, a retired NHS IT worker who has been a member of the wildlife trust for years.

Exactly what they do depends on the season and the place. It might be repairing footpaths or boardwalks - like today; mending hides; clearing scrub; cutting or burning intrusive trees such as birch; uprooting ragwort. The volunteers tend to be less busy in winter - but even then, there are always jobs to be done. Without the volunteers, it would be almost impossible for the wildlife trust to maintain its reserves, says John Wollaston. "They are essential!"

There are more than 40 members of the BWs - though on any Wednesday perhaps 20 will turn up.

Mags Betts admits she loves the volunteering. "Everybody is here because they want to be," she says. "Everybody is here because they are doing something they enjoy." She looks around at the reeds rustling all about. "This is a lovely place," she says. "Such big skies."

A beetle at Wheldrake Ings nature reserve. Photo: Nigel Holland

Being part of a group working on a nature reserve like this is hugely satisfying, says Roy Little, a life member of the wildlife trust who has been a volunteer for six years or so. So what made him volunteer? "I think you should put something back," he says.

For Mair Mather, a volunteer for five years or so, it is the being outdoors and knowing you are doing something useful that makes her enjoy the volunteering."I like the physicality of it," she says. "When I'm out here working, you don't think about anything else. You forget all your cares. You always feel better at the end of the day!"

Volunteering with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust manages almost 100 nature reserves across the county, from Spurn Point and Flamborough Head in the east to Potteric Carr in South Yorkshire and Yellands Meadow in Swaledale. There are a host of wonderful nature reserves a short distance from York, including Wheldrake Ings, Askham Bog, Strensall Common, Moorlands, Allerthorpe Common, Calley Heath, Wharram Quarry and the site at Bolton Percy Station.

To manage all these sites so that they are rich in wildlife and visitor-friendly, the Trust needs the help of volunteers. Depending on the time of year or where you live, volunteers may find themselves clearing paths and overgrown vegetation, mending fences, hides or boardwalks, organising litter picks or beach clean-ups, or checking on livestock such as cattle that are introduced on nature reserves at certain times of year to graze meadows. The Trust also needs volunteers in its offices and centres in York, Doncaster, Hull and Huddersfield.

If you fancy giving volunteering a go, there is plenty of flexibility with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust: you can give as much or as little time as you like and work in areas that suit you. To find out more, visit www.ywt.org.uk/volunteer, email volunteering@ywt.org.uk or call 01904 659570.”