We’re recruiting for a Visitor Data Project Officer

Are you interested in encouraging sustainable recreation? Would you like to help conserve and enhance the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) by growing our understanding of visitor behaviour across the AONB? 

If yes, then this part-time, 12 month role may be for you!

Society counts on Mendip for many services – from providing food, biodiversity, clean air and water, to tourism and recreation for people’s health and wellbeing. By counting people on Mendip, this project will develop a more informed approach to promoting recreation that is sustainable and that minimises the impact on the natural environment. This in turn will help conserve and enhance this nationally protected landscape for both people and wildlife. The coronavirus pandemic has made the need for this project even greater.

‘Counting on Mendip’ is a long-term programme investigating when, where and how people visit the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The Mendip Hills AONB Unit has secured funding from the National Grid Community Grant Programme to deliver a one year project to support this work.

The successful candidate will lead the project, working towards the following aims:

1. Develop, implement and coordinate a reliable and sustainable programme for collecting and analysing data on visitor numbers and behaviour at key locations across the AONB (through installation of electronic visitor counters).
2. Establish and support a network of volunteers from the community and key landowners to support data collection and long-term sustainability of the project.
3. Use the project as a tool to inform the public and raise awareness of the importance of sustainable recreation, and to work with existing users, young people and ‘missing audiences’ to identify barriers and opportunities to improving access to the Mendip Hills.
4. Better understand the impacts of access and recreation on the local environment, society and economy.
5. Use the data gathered, along with other forms of data and tools, to better inform management and promotion of sustainable recreation in the AONB, creating a final report and action plan. 

The role is part-time (12 hours per week) on a temporary 12 month contract, and will require a mix of outdoor practical work and desk-based analysis and reporting (largely home-based during the pandemic), working as part of a small, wider AONB team of staff and volunteers.

The application closing date is Tuesday 17th November 2020.  Job interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held online on Thursday 26th November.

For more information, please contact Tim Haselden, Project Development Officer at tim@mendiphillsaonb.org.uk.

For a copy of the Job Description & Person Specification, and to apply please click here.