Young activists selected as Scottish rewilding champions
A group of ten young Scottish activists have been selected for a nature restoration training programme, which aims to inspire the next generation of ‘rewilding communicators’ in Scotland.
Group of people dressed in winter clothing in pine woodland setting, during an outdoor training session as part of a residential communications training course, November 2024
The training is designed to empower young people, equipping them with the skills and confidence to become communicators about rewilding and its benefits to nature, climate and people.
Alasdair Worrell, 22, from Dalguise in Perth and Kinross, was one of ten 18-30 year olds selected to take part in a week-long residential training course in the Cairngorms National Park at the end of November.
Alasdair, who has studied environmental science and geography, hopes to use the training to help communicate the benefits of rewilding to communities across Scotland.
Alasdair said: 'As a young person it is easy to feel disheartened at the scale of the challenge we face in tackling the impact of climate and ecological change. I believe rewilding offers us hope to make a positive difference here, and quickly too.
'I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Thanks to the skills I’ve learnt, I’m now more confident about communicating the benefits of rewilding with a variety of audiences, which I have found challenging in the past.
'My ambition is to get local communities on board, secure funding, and persuade landowners to support, and actively take part in more rewilding projects across Scotland. Without the support of local communities and landowners the challenge will be so much harder.'
The training was organised and delivered by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, a charity focused on making rewilding happen across Scotland, and was made possible thanks to donations from the DS Smith Charitable Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.
Wouter van Tol, Chair of the DS Smith Charitable Foundation, said: 'We are delighted to support this initiative to equip future leaders with the skills to protect and restore natural ecosystems. Our contribution aligns with our Now & Next Sustainability Strategy, a key pillar of which focuses on people & communities and nature. The fantastic work SCOTLAND: The Big Picture has done to empower people like Alasdair helps to inspire local action and create lasting benefits for Scotland’s landscapes, climate, and communities in the years to come.'
The training programme offered participants an immersive opportunity to understand more about rewilding, develop the ability to articulate and share their experiences effectively, and inspire others in their communities to rewild.
Stef Lauer, Rewilding Training Lead, said: 'I was blown away by the young people we had on the training programme at the end of last month. While each of them had their own reasons, and their own passion for applying, they shared a common goal to be powerful advocates for Scotland’s natural environment.
'Thanks to the support from our funders we now have a talented group of young activists with the tools and techniques to communicate the benefits of rewilding - for nature, climate and people.'
ENDS
Find out how to unleash your potential as a powerful rewilding communicator: https://www.scotlandbigpicture.com/retreat/rewilding-communications-training
