FROM fund-raising to fencing, managing nature reserves to raising awareness of environmental issues - these are just some of the tasks that are all in a day's work for staff at Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

Reserves officer John Dunbavin was an electrician working in a factory until a few years ago when he decided he wanted a job outside and a change of career.

After undertaking several courses to enable him to get into university as a mature student and take a three-year degree in environmental studies, Mr Dunbavin has been at the CWT for just over two years, and hasn't looked back since.

"It's not for everybody.

In summer when it's like this and you're out and about people think it's great but in the middle of winter when its freezing cold and its covered in snow, and you've still got to put a fence in, it's not all a bed of roses."

But Mr Dunbavin, who helps look after the day-to-day management of reserves in the south of the county, said he loves his job, and can't imagine doing anything else.

He spends about two-thirds of his time working outdoors on the reserves, working with contractors or volunteers on practical projects such as fencing, tree felling and planting.

The rest of the time he works in the office planning projects and dealing with the public.

"It's very rewarding work because we're keeping those reserves and habitats in good condition for people to visit and enjoy."

Rachel Osborn is the trust's environmental awareness officer with a remit to create educational opportunities for members of the charity and communities across the county.

"It's a very varied job and it's what you make of it really, but I can be doing anything from going into schools and doing sessions with children or giving ideas on how they could improve their grounds for wildlife.

"I also arrange and run events for children and adults and work with anybody - individuals or communities - who want to do projects in their local area to help encourage wildlife."

Working with other organisations to help pool resources and skills is a key part of her job, as is fund-raising to help finance the educational work.

Miss Osborn, 26, is also highly enthusiastic about her job, which she gained after a taking a degree in environmental policy and countryside planning.

"I always had a genuine concern about the environment and an interest in the natural world," she said, adding the best aspect of her work is the contact with people and particularly her work with young people.

Both officers agreed that the best advice for young people interested in pursuing a similar career in conservation and environmental work would be to try their hand at volunteering work for an organisation such as the wildlife trust, or the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.

Mr Dunbavin said such experience would be essential, not just as a way of finding out whether it's the sort of job which might appeal, but also to pick up useful practical skills and qualifications.

l Geoff Barrett, manager of the careers centre in Kendal, which is now part of Connexions Cumbria, advised that, as conservation and environmental work was popular and competition for jobs was so strong, work experience or voluntary work would be an advantage for people trying to get a foot in the door.

He also recommended making the most of the careers centre to research opportunities in this field, saying there were a range of jobs that people didn't fully understood or even know existed.