Enjoy the dirtiest weekend you’ve ever had!

Enjoy the dirtiest weekend you’ve ever had by heading to the Mersey Forest this summer, where you can derive a feel-good factor by helping the natural environment within some of the most iconic locations in North West England, as well as soaking up some fabulous cultural experiences.

The Mersey Forest is working in conjunction with BTCV to lay on weekends for those wishing to make a practical difference to the natural assets of Merseyside. The weekends are based around exciting and important environmental projects, but also enable participants to enjoy the array of cultural activities being staged as part of Liverpool’s City of Culture celebrations.

Participants can book their volunteering weekend and then choose from a wide variety of accommodation types, opting for accommodation providers operating through Merseyside’s Green Tourism Business Scheme, if they wish. Others can decide to stay in four or five star luxury, if soaking the muscles in the jacuzzi is an attractive proposition after a day’s labour.

Whilst days will be fully occupied on environmental projects, evenings can be spent relaxing in the comfort of a hotel, or out and about taking in the cultural vibe that has infected Liverpool this year. Those making an environmental experience part of a longer holiday can also visit cultural gems such as Tate Liverpool ­ the largest contemporary, modern art gallery outside London.

Each Mersey Forest/BTCV weekend involves work that will help enhance the habitats of either red squirrels, or natterjack toads ­ some of the most endangered species in the country.

During the weekend of July 26-27, work will be undertaken in the Formby Hills, on the coastal path running alongside the habitat of the area’s red squirrels, just 50 metres from the beach. The weekend’s participants will be helping to repair this coastal path, on land adjacent to National Trust property, to combat the effects of coastal erosion.

The weekend of August 16-17 is based in Ainsdale, pact of the Sefton Coast and Countryside area. Here, those booked on to the weekends will carry out fencing work within the sand dune area, working around the pools in which endangered natterjack toads breed.

August 30-31’s weekend will involve work at beautiful Formby Point, where vegetation clearance will again enhance the habitat of the natterjack toads. Here, both balsam and buckthorn will be cleared, to help enhance the natterjacks’ chances of survival.

September 13-14 will see a return to Ainsdale for more natterjack pond fencing, whilst the weekend of September 27-28 is an opportunity to work on vegetation control within this part of the Mersey Forest.

Each weekend costs £100 and will involve working in small groups under the supervision of a BTCV leader. Tools and water are provided and all the participants need to bring is a packed lunch. No previous experience or skills are necessary and participant first-timers are ideal candidates for these weekends.

The accommodation side to the holiday is entirely down to the preference of the participants, who can book this separately, staying exactly where they wish.

To book on to one of these holidays that will make a tangible difference to the natural environment, visit btcv.org.uk. For accommodation go to Visitliverpool.com where a number of providers are accredited to the green tourism business scheme, or are working towards that goal.