Arriving at Wimbleball Lake’s breathtaking shores by way of the stormy cliffs of Lundy Island, my name is Nick Herbert and I love what I do. Leading a team who share my passion for conservation, I look after the Exmoor reservoirs of Wimbleball and Wistlandpound with an ever changing array of long and short term projects.

As Senior Countryside Warden for Exmoor, I have the task of conserving and managing this beautiful snippet of the British landscape. Amongst other things, I look after visitor education, ecological surveys, estate maintenance and volunteers. My work helps to conserve and improve these stunning sites for now and for all the generations to come.

Before coming to Exmoor, I spent a number of years living and working as Ranger on the remote island of Lundy. A part of the small resident community, my days were always unpredictable and I was often involved in work other than conservation. From housekeeping and bartending to delivering supplies and luggage, there were times that I could barely remember how to work a lawnmower or chainsaw! I was also a First Responder and member of the Coastguard and Fire and Rescue Services, a vital role for a tourism hotspot so far away from mainland assistance. In a small team, there were often times where we all had to muck in together and I learned a lot of useful skills.

A large part of my time on Lundy was spent continuing the Rhododendron Eradication Program, which has been an ongoing project for over 25 years, as well as maintaining the conservation and estate of the island as a whole. A non-native species introduced in Victorian times, rhododendron is a highly invasive and difficult to contain threat to many British habitats across the country, so its removal is vital if we want our unique landscape to survive. Our work at the lakes also involves protecting the sites from the impacts of invasive non-native species; click here to find out more.

I’m originally from Lancashire, where I grew up surrounded by three amazing national parks; the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Bowland Fells. The beauty of these sites inspired my lifelong love of nature and guided me into my chosen career. A few weeks’ work experience at the RSPB Leighton Moss, maintaining reed beds and conducting surveys, and I was hooked. From then on, conservation was my driving passion, leading me to complete a two year college course in Countryside Management and spend much of my time volunteering with the local National and Lancashire Wildlife Trusts.

Having joined the Trust in November ’19, I have already had an exciting time experiencing the Exmoor winter, and have already enjoyed some great opportunities to engage with other people and organisations. I’ve had a lot to learn about harvest mice, butterflies, bats and more in the past four months already, and I’m looking forward to seeing what this summer has to offer!

Hope to see you there!

Nick