£20,000 awarded to projects that connect young people with nature

18 December 2019

The NatureScot Future Routes Fund is aimed at 11-26-year olds and supports them to connect with nature and to make a positive impact on the environment in Scotland.

The fund aims to help young people to improve their local environment, increase their knowledge and understanding of Scottish biodiversity, and to provide more opportunities for them to connect with nature.

The fund has been developed by Scotland’s youth biodiversity panel, ReRoute. The panel is working with NatureScot to involve young people in Scotland’s nature and outdoors. By talking to young people and working with different environmental organisations, they are engaging young people on different topics, issues and opportunities related to Scotland’s amazing nature and wildlife.

The young people on the ReRoute panel developed the aims, outcomes and criteria for fund in collaboration with NatureScot and Young Scot. They designed it to be for the benefit of young people, easy to apply for, and they worked hard to encourage submissions from a wide range of young people, regardless of their level of interest in nature.

Recipients of Future Routes funding are:

• Alnisa Meaan: Women together
• Beehavin Project
• Braes High Sensory Garden
• Changing Lives – Loving Nature
• Discovering Nature on My Doorstep
• Mad Challenges & Pink Panthers Explorer Scout Unit
• Kwood Youth
• Let’s Go Galloway!
• Mad Challenges & Pink Panthers Explorer Scout Unit
• Natural Connection
• Nature for John Muir
• Team name TBC (Kevin Stone)
• SLS
• Ullapool Sea Savers
• Youth Meet-Up Group

NatureScot Chief Executive Francesca Osowska said: “Congratulations to all the recipients - it’s really inspiring to see so many young people come forward with great ideas to connect their peers with the outdoors and help Scotland’s nature. Now more than ever it’s so important that young people are fully involved in shaping and delivering the action needed to ensure a nature-rich future and address climate change. We look forward to following their progress and continuing our partnership with ReRoute to help make our work more meaningful and engaging for younger people.”

Louise Macdonald OBE, Chief Executive of Young Scot said, “It’s fantastic to see the ReRoute panel working in partnership with NatureScot to support young people to engage more with Scotland’s stunning natural environment. We hope this will inspire other public bodies, as well as young people, across Scotland.”

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