Meet Fred – the New Ranger

Fred Turtle is the new Ranger at Twywell Hills & Dales, and here you can find out all about who he is and what he’s going to bring to his new role.

What attracted you to the role of Twywell Ranger?
I used to walk dogs with my family as a child at Twywell, and I have such strong memories of the site’s unique landscape. Moving back to Northamptonshire after living in London for five years, my perspective on our local area has changed massively and I have been able to appreciate how lucky we are to have access to green spaces that are so diverse, and rich in heritage and meaning.

I wanted a job that would allow me to develop my practical skills and knowledge, whilst also supporting and strengthening the local community to develop a more meaningful and empowered relationship with nature.

When I’m not working I make art and music with my friends. I also enjoy foraging, wild swimming, and performing arcane rituals to appease forgotten deities.

What previous jobs and experience have you had?
I studied English with Creative Writing at Goldsmiths UoL. I’m a poet, artist and musician and I got involved in community projects with Edible Rotherhithe, and I facilitated ‘walking words’ eco poetry workshops in primary schools

I worked at Kew Gardens during the Food Forever festival, where I learnt more about horticulture, botany and mycology. I made the transition into a green career working for Forestry England in a recreation role before joining the Groundwork team.

What do your day-to-day jobs at Twywell include?
My days include emptying bins, litter picking around the site, carrying out repairs and maintenance, chatting with visitors, spotting and recording wildlife, vegetation management, and volunteer outreach.

What do you love most about your job?
Watching the seasons unfold and spotting the changes that happen all the time is so precious and rewarding. I have ADHD and autism which means I love to share information that I’ve learned with people that visit the site, and learn from others.

Twywell is such a fascinating place to be and work, I don’t think I’ll ever run out of things to research. As a creative person I find being in nature so inspiring. It nourishes me creatively to observe and connect with the ecosystems that we often forget we’re a part of.

What are some of the most challenging parts of your role?
We had a particularly wet winter, so mud management has been a real challenge! Due to my neurodivergence I struggle a lot with executive dysfunction and anxiety, but thankfully I have a lot of support in place that means I don’t have to battle these things alone. One of my goals with our volunteering programme at Twywell is to help other neurodivergent people develop practical skills and feel more confident in nature- green/outdoors careers can be a great option for neurodivergent people, but many don’t have the support to make that change.

What new plans for Twywell do you have?
I want to make it easier for people to make a difference in their local area by organising community litter picks and volunteer work parties.

I’d love to continue the developments in our community orchard, and explore permaculture concepts such as food forests that could be so vital in assuring food sovereignty for our local area. I also think that there’s immense potential for creative input and output on the site, and would love to work with local artists to celebrate and share what makes the site so special.

How would you describe Twywell Hills and Dales to friends, family and visitors?
I always try to emphasise how unique Twywell Hills and Dales is, as a reclaimed quarry that has been restored to nature. It was a key part of our local industrial heritage, facilitating the livelihoods of many people over the years, and now it is a freely accessible green space that is home to such a diverse array of species, and contains so much beauty and wonder within it! It’s a weird, wonderful, rambling landscape.