The landscape conservation charity is organizing the 'Fell Care Day' at Helvellyn on Thursday 29 September to highlight the huge role the volunteering plays in conserving and managing the fells. It expects more than 25 organizations including schools and a hundred volunteers to take part.

The Fell Care Day will involve practical conservation activities and awareness raising about managing the land and water and the benefits the fells provide for us all. They will also celebrate 2011 as the European Year of Volunteering, the 60th Birthday of the Lake District National Park, and the International Year of Forests.

Volunteers will be undertaking a huge range of tasks on and around Helvellyn, from footpath repair work, surveying red squirrels, rebuilding a sheepfold and a squirrel hide, tree conservation work to sky high litter picks on Swirral Edge and Striding Edge, and the lakeshore for those without a head for heights. Local schools will be taking part and making squirrel feeders, alongside other educational conservation work.

Volunteer groups from local schools, the Lake District National Park, Mosaic project, United Utilities, the Dry Stone Walling Association, Natural England, Grasmere Red Squirrel Group, North West Deer Initiative, 2020 Vision Project, Fix the Fells and Friends of the Lake District will all be taking part, along with staff and holidaymakers from Lakelovers Cottages and Rydal's Cote Howe B&B. Grasmere's Miller Howe and Baldry's tea rooms and Croft Bakery will all be donating cakes to fuel the hungry volunteer workers.

Sue Manson, Flora of the Fells Project Officer said: 'We're looking for volunteers with reasonable fitness and mobility, super fit volunteers for working a high level on steep slopes, experienced drystone wallers, and people to help us make films of the day. If you enjoy meeting people and raising awareness about the fells and conservation - or baking cakes - then we'd love you to be involved too.

'The Fell Care Day promises to be a great day in celebration of the Lake District Fells, all they provide for us and the immense volunteer effort that goes into helping to conserve them.'

The charity is also running a second Fell Care Day in Ennerdale on Tuesday 18 October.

If you are an individual, group or business interested in volunteering on either day please contact Sue Manson, Flora Events and Communications Officer on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 01539 733187.

For a full list of volunteering opportunities see:

United Utilities
Friends of the Lake District Volunteers
Natural England
Heritage Skills Initiative at North of England Civic Trust
Fix the Fells Volunteers
Lake District National Park Authority Volunteers
Drystone Walling Association
2020 Vision Project
Lakelovers Cottages staff & client volunteers
Grasmere Red Squirrel Group
North West Deer Initiative
Wainwright Society
Cote Howe B&B
Baldry's Tea Rooms, Grasmere
Miller Howe Café, Grasmere
Croft Bakery, Grasmere