Working with Young People
Here at Radnorshire Wildlife Trust we work hard to empower and inspire young people to take action for nature and wildlife.
We work with young people across the vice-county, running sessions in schools and with local youth groups, putting on events to encourage young people to act for nature, and providing long-term traineeships and work placements to upskill and inspire young adults to pursue careers in the conservation sector. Our Stand for Nature Wales project has been running since April 2021, alongside the 4 other Wildlife Trusts in Wales.
Stand for Nature Wales
Since the project launched in April 2021, our team have been working hard to reach out to young people all across Radnorshire. We've had some brilliant experiences and achievements during this time.
Traineeship
In the summer of 2022 we recruited our first two Trainees, Catrin and Joe, who have since gone on to staff roles within Radnorshire Wildlife Trust. While Trainees, they gained vital skills and experience to help prepare them for conservation work.
Since then we have recruited five new trainees: one Data Management and Habitat Mapping Trainee, Beth; three Reserves Trainees, Rachel, Jake and Hayat; and one Nature's Recovery and Climate Change Trainee, Lexie.
They've been busy developing the skills required in order to pursue their future roles in conservation: surveying and learning about local ecology, helping manage our reserves for nature, and helping engage the local community with a range of events and school visits.
Trainees visit to Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre
Youth Action Group
Our Youth Action Group have met fortnightly since the Stand for Nature Wales project kicked off in April 2021, and is made up of locals aged 9-13. We've helped them explore nature, and get involved in discussions and activities they wouldn't have been able to do without the group.
Our highlights have been being interviewed by the BBC at Gilfach, camping at The Willow Globe, toad patrolling around Llandrindod Lake, and attending the Youth Summit every year alongside young people taking part in other Welsh Wildlife Trust's Stand for Nature groups.
(C) Andy Charles-O'Callaghan
Schools
We believe working with schools is a great way to get young people engaged with nature early. Throughout Stand for Nature we have worked closely with primary and high schools throughout Radnorshire, running sessions in classrooms, school grounds, and on our nature reserves.
We've helped build bug hotels, restore and clear out ponds, made and decorated bird boxes, and create Green Spaces on school grounds for the students to enjoy.
We have taken school groups up to our flagship reserve Gilfach, looking at the amazing wildlife on the site, searching the fields and oak woods for invertebrate and keeping eyes and ears open for birds.
It was a fabulous day of active learning, exploration and being awed by nature... it all meant so much and the children will never forget it!
