Inspiring the next generation

By Mya Bambrick

Communities Intern

There’s nothing like wandering through a woodland and hearing the crunch of leaves under foot or walking along a beach and watching Turnstones scuttling over the pebbles. It’s natural to feel inspired by nature, after all we are part of it. I was lucky that at the mere age of eight, I discovered my passion for the natural world and have carried it throughout my life so far. 

However, with distractions of technology or the pressure of exams or work, many young people have not had their eyes opened to the wonders of connecting with nature. It’s not just about identifying species or understanding ecology, but simply being out enjoying the environment around you. There are so many benefits to mental and physical wellbeing like improved mood, reduced stress and even cognitive advantages. It’s not always easy to access good quality green space. Barriers may get in the way of a visit to a nature reserve or park, like transport, cost, accessibility issues or a lack of confidence. Conservation organisations are slowly changing to combat these barriers and welcome people from all backgrounds. I was delighted to hear that the RSPB have made entry to their reserves free for 16–24 year olds (with valid photo ID), which can help you to discover any of their 21 reserves across the country. At Sussex Wildlife Trust all our reserves are free for everyone to explore, including Rye Harbour.

Through my job as Communities Intern I'm working on creating more accessible opportunities for this age range (more here). We need as many young people as possible to see how wonderful and important conserving our wildlife is and conservation organisations have a big role to play.