As part of our ongoing inclusion work, young people and youth engagement is something TCLW is incredibly passionate about. We wanted to share an update on the work TCLW has been doing to increase engagement with young people over the past few months and, most importantly, share how young people can get involved in the protection and future of our Welsh landscapes.
Youth Ranger and Youth Committee opportunities in Wales
There are various opportunities for young people to get stuck into outdoor adventure, conservation and environmental protection – and most importantly have fun – through various volunteer youth schemes across Wales’ Designated Landscapes.
Generally, participants in Youth Ranger schemes spend one day a month engaging in activities such as hiking, climbing and practical conservation tasks such as tree planting and path maintenance, with the chance to work alongside landscape staff and other environmental organizations. These schemes not only provide valuable skills and experiences but also help to build confidence and foster a deep connection with the natural environment.
Youth Committees offer a dedicated space for young people to tell us how we should run our Designated Landscapes in Wales, both now, and in the future. As part of a committee, you will meet regularly to discuss a variety of issues, including things like climate change, opportunities for young people, local jobs, the availability of sustainable and affordable housing and transport and much more. Importantly, youth committees are led by young people and for young people! Youth voice opportunities are a great way to have an impact on decision making, develop and learn new skills, learn about our landscapes as well as meeting lots of like-minded people. The fact that they can be run online also offers the opportunity for a much wider range of young people to get involved.
Our three National Parks, Bannau Brycheiniog, Eryri, and Pembrokeshire Coast, all have youth ranger and youth committee programmes.
All the information about how to get involved is linked below. Please feel free to also pop Anna Jones, our Diversity, Inclusion and Governance Excellence Strategic Lead an email if you have any questions or would like any more information: annaj@pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk.
- Bannau
- Youth warden scheme – meet once a month on weekends
- Youth committee – currently being formed!
- Both aimed at young people aged 15-18
More info here: Youth Schemes | Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority
- Eryri
- Youth Rangers (age 14 – 17)- meet once a month on weekends in the north of the National Park (hoping to create a south group soon)
More info here: Young Rangers Scheme | Eryri National Park (gov.wales)
- Youth Fforwm– their Youth Manifesto has just been approved! This youth committee meet 4 times a year to feedback on strategic National Park decisions.
- Pembrokeshire Coast
- Youth Rangers (age 16 – 25) – meet once a month on Saturdays
- ‘Next Generation’ Youth Committee (age 14 – 25) – meet monthly on a Tuesday evenly – in person and online. They have a Next Gen Youth Manifesto: Youth Manifesto – Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
More info: National Park Next Generation – Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
There are also opportunities to get involved in our National Landscapes too, including:
- Clwydian Range and Dee Valley
- Young Rangers (age 11 – 18) – two groups (one group based out of Loggerheads Country Park and one in the Dee Valle!) – meet once a month
More info here: Young Rangers – Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB
Youth Volunteering Opportunities
There are also plenty of volunteering opportunities to get stuck into across Wales’ Designated landscapes. Examples include Eryri, who have run some fantastic volunteer days with Moving Mountains, a young refugee group from Manchester, who helped to clear Himalayan Balsam whilst learning about the fragile archaeology of the area with the National Park team.
Eryri have also launched their Copa1 project this year to tackle single use plastic issue on Yr Wyddfa – this is the first environmental project for young people in Eryri! https://snowdonia.gov.wales/copa1-shaping-the-future-of-yr-wyddfa-through-youth-led-climate-action/.
The Wye Valley National Landscape team have just recently set up the ‘Wye Valley Adventurers’ offering 11 – 16-year-olds the chance to participate in outdoor and ecological activities once a month on a Saturday.
If you or a group would like to explore a regular or one-off volunteering opportunity, please contact Anna Jones who will be happy to connect you up with the right team (annaj@pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk).
What’s next for youth engagement in Wales?
Taking the learnings from the EUROPARC Junior Ranger Camp, our next online TCLW Youth Network meetup will look at supporting the work and development of youth committees across our landscapes and how to truly integrate youth voice into decision-making to ensure that the needs and aspirations of young people are truly reflected in the management of our protected areas.
There is also particular work to be done on capturing the input and perspectives of the 18-25 year age group as well as looking more strategically at apprenticeships, skills and recruitment across our landscapes.
Part of this work also involves a more coordinated awareness programme from a young age around what Designated Landscapes in Wales are, what makes them special and what they can offer, as a starting point TCLW have worked on a collaborative project called ‘Tirlun’ https://tirlun.wales/. Tirlun is a fantastic portal for outdoor learning activities to support the work of teachers and others who work with young people, taking the learner from their school to the local area and into the Designated Landscapes of Wales and beyond.
With a new National Park designation in Wales on the horizon, this is an exciting time to strengthen our work and involvement with our young communities across Wales and beyond, hopefully inspiring more young people to be involved in the future of our landscapes through our important climate and nature work.