Daniil Bachkirov, 3rd year PPR student.

“I was initially looking to get involved with a group to which I could feed in my own interests around the environment and sustainability. Through volunteering with Green Lancaster, I saw the opportunity to meet new people and get outside into the fresh air, whilst making a difference to the local community. I was really keen to explore the local area and feel more integrated with the community, and volunteering on environmental projects gave me the ideal opportunity to do this.

This year I’ve taken the Lead Volunteer role for the Organic Garden project. It’s given me the opportunity to put my own stamp on the project

I try to get involved in as many events as I can possibly fit into my schedule. I’ve been out on several volunteer events with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and at the Fairfield Orchard. The campus based projects are also really important to me. Last year I was heavily involved in the planting and construction of the Orchard on campus. This activity really gave me the opportunity to feel I was a committed member of a team working towards a shared objective. This year I’ve taken the Lead Volunteer role for the Organic Garden project. I really enjoy this as it’s given me the opportunity to put my own stamp on the project. This has lead to me being involved with the Green Lancaster staff on the ‘eco-hub’ development project, where we hope to create a larger scale sustainability project from combining the Organic Garden and Chicken Projects. I’m always calling into the Green Lancaster office to find out what’s going on and sometimes I even help out with stuff at the office!

Being part of Green Lancaster has given me valuable experience of being part professional group working towards environmental and sustainability objectives. I also feel like I have the confidence and self motivation to be able to make things happen that I feel passionate about. I am particularly interested in grass-roots work and would really like to feel part of a community working together to achieve a sustainable environment and society. Green Lancaster has really provided me with the model for this.