(Young) People Power

Laura Ross

Communications Officer, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Take eleven young people, an abundance of energy and a passion for wanting to make a difference to the natural world, and you have the vital ingredients for our Youth Rangers group. The group for 16-25 year olds meets fortnightly at the nature reserve, and provides an opportunity to gain practical skills in nature conservation and habitat management, while improving their chances of future employment. And let's face it, our young people in the UK could do with a helping hand, after all:

• 6.1% in East Sussex are unemployed or claiming benefits*
• 31% are living with depression or anxiety**
• 70% report that they have lost touch with nature***

If you've ever been to the nature reserve early on a Saturday morning, you might have seen them in action, but if you haven't, you're definitely likely to see the impact they've made. We're stonkingly proud of all their efforts and want to share a taster of what's been achieved in just 128 volunteer hours.

The environmental impact to the nature reserve

⚡️Created a new secluded outdoor learning area for visiting education groups (50 square metres in size), by clearing Hawthorn

⚡️Developed a meadow space for species such as Pyramidal Orchid, to thrive, by removing bramble

⚡️Increased biodiversity by cutting back trees to allow more light to reach the ground layer, creating a patchwork of habitats that benefit Harvest Mice and Whitethroat nesting
⚡️Planted 0.5kg of Wild Carrot seed, the main food source for the rare Sussex Emerald moth, to encourage breeding 
⚡️Collected 6kg of beach rubbish washed up on the shoreline, preventing it from entering and contaminating the coastal environment

The employability impact for our Youth Rangers

⚡️Learned about the significance of SSSI sites and the rare Sussex Emerald moth, unique to this region
⚡️Seven volunteers trained on how to conduct Marine Conservation Society beach litter surveys, identifying the sources of litter found on the shoreline. This data is collated and
used to inform policies and laws that reduce waste and positively impact the climate crisis

⚡️Five students from East Sussex College group accrued 56 hours of volunteering 
⚡️Eight hours of work experience gained by a Plumpton College student towards his countryside management course
⚡️Everyone learnt about different species that nest and live on the reserve and methods of habitat management to increase biodiversity
⚡️The group gained practical experience in using a variety of hand tools including folding saws, toppers, rakes, knives and pitchforks

We asked a few of the group what difference it has made to their life and the responses were incredibly powerful:

'Youth Rangers is helping me to be less nervous in new situations...Without it, I wouldn't get to be productive outdoors or talk to people outside of college' - Emilia, aged 17. 

'Even if we are only doing small acts of protecting the environment, it's still doing something. If Youth Rangers stopped running, then I would feel more helpless in the climate crisis' - Rubie, aged 18.

'I enjoy all the manual work we do around the nature reserve. It's a great place to help me gain knowledge and experience for future jobs' - Joseph, aged 16.

We'd like to thank all our Youth Rangers for the contribution they have each made to the nature reserve: Archie, Holly, Ben, Joseph, Rubie, Joeie, Maddie, Isaac, Caleb, Emilia and Tegan, we couldn't have done it without you.

Youth Rangers volunteering sessions are made possible by Sussex Wildlife Trust's generous members and supporters. Help us build a brighter future for Rye's Youth Rangers by donating today.

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If you're a young person, or know someone who you think would enjoy this group, why not get in touch to book a taster session. Simply email Alice Oakley, our Volunteer Coordinator, at [email protected]

* East Sussex County Council 2025, ** ONS 2027, *** 2017 Wildlife Trust survey