Moonlighting for free on Scotland’s streets

If any of this appeals to you then you’ll probably empathise with the University of Aberdeen animal ecology department’s Charlie Wilson, who spends a proportion of his time co-ordinating volunteers from all walks of life to study how animals behave when most people are sleeping.

In conjunction with Scottish Natural Heritage, he is part of a team who use the findings in order to protect the country’s wildlife and to research animal behaviour.

Motivation varies but according to Charlie a love of animals and a passion for the outdoors is all it requires.

“It’s a question I never tire of hearing – who on earth would want to do this kind of volunteering? But you’d be surprised.”

At times over a dozen volunteers can take part in field trips, says Charlie, and the most surprising part is often they’re not students.

“We do have quite a few students on our books but the majority are just everyday members of the public. They vary in age from 18 to 70 and over, but once they’re briefed and they get out on project they love it.”

For some the object is being part of a team. Others, especially young people, see it as a way of boosting their CVs. For many more its just about the outdoors and love of conservation.

“It can even be a mix of them all,” says Charlie. “It’s not a role for the feint hearted to be honest; you’ve got to be physically fit to spend up to eight hours on a field trip, sometimes being deadly still and at the same time taking notes on observations. That’s not easy and can be very demanding on volunteers.”

Conversely, Charlie reckons the nocturnal nature of the field trips attracts far more volunteers. “I think there’s an element of adventure in it all,” he says. “For some they see the dark as a parallel universe where unique things happen. That’s probably true – animals behave very differently at night than during the day. Badgers, for example, betray very cautious and careful behaviour during the day while at night you’ll see them cavorting with their counterparts and running around in circles as if they couldn’t care less.

“That’s what we want to record – the differences in nature at night in contrast to day. You might think cows sleep at night. Mostly they do but many don’t and suffer from the bovine equivalent of insomnia. We’ve even successfully treated them, believe it or not.”

Charlie also works abroad. He spends up to three months of the year researching animal habitats, mostly in rainforests, alongside his colleague Meryl Fins (pictured) and often takes some volunteers with him.

“Occasionally there are opportunities to take people with us and we just pick names out of the hat. We look to more experienced volunteers to be honest to fulfill these roles because it is often more demanding work.”

While much of the research is still work in progress, Charlie knows one thing for sure: without his willing band of nocturnal volunteers, research would come to a standstill.

“Without them we couldn’t have achieved much of the work we’ve managed over the last five years,” he says. “Thanks to the volunteers we’ve managed to make really good progress in what is a five year project. I can’t thank them enough.”

After a serious accident put paid to his boxing career Glen says he went through an experience akin to a Damascene conversion, the consequence of which was a change of career.

It led to him becoming a social worker and then a counsellor. These roles brought him into contact with some of the most vulnerable people in Dundee, making him aware of those who needed help but didn’t have the resources or know-how to access it. So he decided to reach out to them.

“I had worked with police through my job in social work and knew Dundee had a lot of rough sleepers. Most of them were drug users and alcoholics who, basically, lived on the streets,” he explains.

“But there were also those who weren’t – young people thrown out of their homes, victims of domestic abuse and the like. I thought I could help them quite easily if I just spent some time contacting them.”

And that’s what he did. Alongside Tayside Police officers, Glen spends one night each week, from 9pm onwards, patrolling the city streets approaching people he thinks might need assistance.

He describes his work as a signposting service, referring people to the relevant authorities, such as housing services, social work, substance misuse groups and women’s aid organisations, but only if they agree to do so.

Although Glen works alongside all the city’s homeless and housing charities, he prefers to keep it simple and not recruit more volunteers.

“People often ask my motivation and sometimes I’m at a loss to explain it,” he says. “I suppose it looks strange: a man volunteering to give up his bed to walk often cold dark streets in search for people who have issues. But I think it’s needed. No-one else is doing it and if you ask why then I’m not ashamed to say I do it because I care. Someone has to.”

Glen does work with the police, however. Tayside Police agree to chaperone him on his patrols but they keep a distance when approaching potential clients.

“People with chaotic lives will avoid the police at all costs so a lot of discretion is needed,” he said. “I make it known anything they tell me is confidential but once I get them talking I often quickly get to the reason why they are on the streets. And it’s not always for the obvious reasons.”

Homeless people are especially vulnerable, says Glen, with many suspicious of the authorities. He’s had many successes however in getting people temporary accommodation in hostels and half-way homes, getting them out of harms way and into the warmth.

“A lot of homeless people just don’t know there are places for them,” says Glen. “So I signpost them to places they might not know about.

“The night brings out a different kind of person,” he says. “Weekends are very different from weekdays. If it is a Monday night and you see someone on the street, you know they won’t be a reveler. And often they do need help.”

Most of all Glen believes his volunteering makes a difference. “Not many people make the effort to go out after dark, apart from the emergency services, so I believe it’s needed,” he says. “I don’t pretend I make a big difference but I have managed, I believe, to have saved a few lives. And that’s probably the only justification I need to know that what I do works.”