Avon Needs Trees

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BSU graduate puts her degree into practice at local woodland charity

Friday, 22 May, 2026

Bath Spa University offers a range of support services for recent graduates, including a Graduate Internship programme. By taking advantage of the programme,  BSc (Hons) Wildlife Conservation graduate Evie de Gruyther had the opportunity to put her skills into practice while helping to create new forests in the local area with the charity Avon Needs Trees (ANT). 

Avon Needs Trees is a registered charity which creates new and permanent woodland throughout the Bristol-Avon River catchment to tackle climate change. Founded in 2019, ANT is responsible for several successful woodland projects around the region, planting and caring for tens of thousands of trees across Wiltshire and Somerset. 

Talking about how she got involved with ANT, Evie said: 

“I was just about to graduate from BSU with a Wildlife Conservation degree, and after reading about ANT in the Graduate Internships brochure, I could immediately see myself working there. So, I put in my application and waited. After some interviews, I got the job, and a fabulous, tree-filled journey began!” 

Evie started her internship in September 2025 and spent her first two weeks meeting the team and visiting all the ANT sites, including established and developing woodlands in Bristol, Somerset and Chippenham.  

“I learned a lot about the processes that are required behind the scenes to ensure woodland planting projects can be successful. All of this learning was against a backdrop of some pretty stunning views which I always made sure to stop and appreciate.”  

Once settled in, Evie got to work on volunteer recruitment, helping to grow the dedicated volunteer base needed to help plant the trees. She researched places to advertise across the region and created and maintained adverts on a database. But she wasn’t confined to a cushy office – she also had the chance to get her hands dirty and take on more physical work such as cleaning barns, weeding parking spaces and driving around the county collecting old wooden pallets to store baby trees.  

Explaining further, Evie said: 

“No two days were ever the same, and I got stuck in wherever I was needed. The staff and volunteers were always generous with their time too, getting involved in extra tasks and coming away from the office to the site to pitch in for the team. Teamwork, and helping each other out, has been the cornerstone to everything I have been involved with at Avon Needs Trees. It is clear that they love what they do and want you to love it too.” 

The highlight of Evie’s time with ANT was the actual tree planting, along with helping to lead groups of volunteer tree planters. Evie said: 

“This quickly became my favourite part of the job because I love engaging with people and seeing their passion for the natural world. Encouraging volunteers and ensuring they have a positive experience, hot drinks and biscuits is vital because they really are the lifeblood of ANT.” 

Rounding out her experience, Evie also got involved with soil sampling, tree care, teaching students about planting techniques, research for potential projects and marking out future tree and hedgerow locations. She spent a lot of time outside, rain or shine, and the fields and buildings at Lower Chew Forest began to feel like a home: 

“Trying to give a snapshot of my time at Avon Needs Trees is hard, because of the huge variety of work I was able to get involved in. I had a wonderful time working for ANT and have learned plenty about woodland creation, tree care techniques, volunteer engagement and project management.” 

Evie said her time at ANT also better prepared her for work in the future:  

“I have learned to be adaptable, with no two days looking the same, and to think of creative solutions to complex logistical problems. I am immensely grateful for the staff and volunteers at ANT who welcomed me so warmly and hope to be back in the future as a volunteer myself, so I can keep watching these woodlands come to life.” 

Joshua Hale, Chew Valley Project Manager at Avon Needs Trees said: 

“Evie was outstanding, surpassing all expectations for a graduate intern. Evie quickly demonstrated that she was an integral part of the team, and through her hard work, we extended her internship to cover the entire winter planting season. Her work directly contributed to us planting 70,000 trees across the Chew Valley. Evie was an outstanding ambassador for the quality of students that BSU educates.” 

Evie is looking forward to starting an MSc in Global Ecology and Conservation at Cardiff University in September and currently volunteers for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. She has also helped set up an Eco Church Group at her local church with an aim to celebrate the biodiversity in churchyards and burial grounds. 

Evie also credits her time at BSU for giving her valuable skills and experience that has helped to set her on her path: 

“Studying Wildlife Conservation at BSU has given me a strong theoretical foundation in ecology, animal behaviour and conservation. That I was able to talk in my interview for ANT about the importance of trees for biodiversity and ecological processes I think helped me to secure my internship. Skills I gained at BSU such as data management, statistics and planning fieldwork investigations are extremely useful for a lot of jobs in the environmental sector and have allowed me to pursue further study.” 

Find out more about how BSU supports its graduates, including internships via Graduate Support. You can sign up to the Avon Needs Trees volunteering portal on their website.