Please welcome Ben Smith, new Ranger for the National Trust’s Surrey Hills East team, covering Limpsfield Common (amongst other areas).

Ben spent ten years preparing for a change of career from the corporate world into conservation, managing a full-time job and childcare responsibilities, whilst volunteering regularly with larger charitable and municipal organisations. He’s built dead hedges for the London Wildlife Trust, dug a pond for the Mayor of London/Lambeth Council’s ‘Clapham Common Wetlands’ project and planted scrub for Wandsworth Council’s biodiversity team. Each session was a step towards a career in conservation and helping to make a difference on a larger scale.

Ben has an interesting and diverse skill set, honed over 20 years of managing an international team of financial writers. This has given him extensive experience in training, performance management and budgeting, as well as acting as the external face of the company, dealing with enquiries, comments and complaints – all valuable experience when it comes to working with local residents and stakeholders.

Most importantly he brings a genuine passion for the natural world to his new role, and is keen to share that passion with others. Recently, he gave the newly elected Leader of his borough council a tour of the local park to explain the work they were doing to improve biodiversity. He has also given regular natural history talks for the park’s ‘Friends’ group on subjects including ‘How to Garden for Wildlife’ and ‘Solitary Bees and their Conservation’, solitary bees and amphibians being two of his specialist subjects!

Ben will be spending the next month getting to know the Surrey Hills – the people, places and landscape. He’s already spent time with the Taskforce and aims fully operational in his new role by September.

Reminder: The Friends of Limpsfield Common Annual Public Meeting is on Saturday 12 September at St Andrew’s Hall, 1130! See you there. 🌿