New Forest National Park Authority
The New Forest National Park Authority has brought together the Youth for Climate and Nature (YouCAN) scheme and is running a number of projects.
The New Forest National Park Authority’s (NFNPA) education and youth team have led 13 junior ranger sessions for 11 to 18-year-olds interested in conservation, sustainability and the natural world. Some sessions have been delivered with partners and focused on aspects of Forest life, such as commoning and the importance of the New Forest code.
The NPA also recruited for and launched the New Forest Youth Board; A group of 18 to 30-year-olds who voluntarily work alongside organisations and groups within the New Forest and surrounding areas to ensure youth voice is represented wherever possible. The Board met for the first time during a residency weekend in September 2024 at the Countryside Education Trust (CET). The weekend included team building and values-based exercises led by the NPA in the Fort Climate Centre, a site tour and animal feeding session by CET on its working farm, a ‘Climate Fresk’ interactive session led by Decarbon Easer to learn about climate change, as well as networking opportunities with other YouCAN partners.
Youth volunteering opportunities were specifically created for 18 to 30-year-olds who may otherwise struggle to access traditional opportunities due to the times and locations that these are generally held in. Sessions were held at weekends and themed on wildlife conservation, countryside access, engagement, citizen science and the arts, with activities such as clearing paths, removing invasive species, conducting surveys, and creating art projects, among others.
A feature garden ‘A Forest of Calm’ was created for the BBC Gardener’s World Spring Fair at Beaulieu, in May 2024. The garden was co-designed by Leigh Johnstone, aka ‘The Beardy Gardener’ and Lily Clarke, in partnership with Broadleaf Home Ed Co-op, Solent MIND (Hythe) and Hythe Men’s Shed. The garden sought to capture the beauty of the National Park and was part-funded by the NPA through YouCAN, with New Forest District Council and arts programme Culture in Common.
