Our Local Nature Grant: A Review of This Year’s Youth-Led Projects

Each year the Linnean Society awards small grants to a number of youth-led nature projects to help foster environmental stewardship, responsibility, leadership and, vitally, protect local green spaces. In 2023–2024, funding through the Our Local Nature grant scheme was split between seven remarkable projects chosen by a panel of bright and enthusiastic young people. The projects not only help to improve biodiversity and local green spaces, but also give young people the power and skills to make a difference in their community. The young people leading this year’s projects could well be the environmental leaders of the future.

In 2024, over 600 children directly benefitted from their involvement in projects supported by the Our Local Nature grant scheme, with over 100 contributing to decision-making and taking on key responsibilities. These projects were wide reaching within their local communities, and many more will be enjoying their outdoor space because of the brilliant work carried out by these groups. Each project lead reported on the positive impact on both the local environment itself and on the children who led their efforts.

Mellish Sports Centre received £1,000 to transform their outdoor space and develop an area of woodlands for the local community of some of the most deprived wards in Nottingham. It is now a place where children can meet regularly to get in touch with nature and receive mentorship and peer support. Their outdoor space now has bird, bat and bee boxes, as well as “new crows’ nests, a new family of foxes, more hedgehogs and visiting jays.” The children of Mellish Sports Centre, in addition to everything else, developed their own “coaching circle, where they share celebrations, what they look forward to, and any worries they may have.”

They shared a story about an 11-year-old known to the police and social care, who initially showed up to sessions to eat, and occasionally fight.

“[H]owever, week by week the young boy began to appreciate the content of the sessions, fire lighting, den building, ID nature etc and had even used ‘whittling a stick’ as a diversionary activity/self-soothing when he felt overwhelmed and when his peers were trying to get him to fight. This young person is now an ‘official outdoor learning volunteer’ and he helps to instruct the younger ones on safety, nature tree ID and may other activities that we do.”

Rosliston Community Centre was awarded £1,000 which was invested in training for dragonfly surveying. The young people have been immersed in learning how to identify and protect native dragonfly species in the UK, and are now completing case studies for the National Forest Company. The young people involved feel they are learning skills they could apply to future jobs and have found a sense of purpose in their volunteering.

Upton Westlea Primary School was awarded £1,000 and used it to renovate their wildlife area, adding bug hotels and bird feeders, planting berries, vegetables and wildflowers. The children have ownership of the garden, and it has given them a sense of pride and accomplishment—Westlea reports that for some children this is the only outdoor space available to them. Already looking forward, the young people are planning to build squirrel runs and add more planters. One child reported that the sunflowers got so big because of the special soil that they had bought.

Upton Westlea have also gained the support of Chester Zoo and are now involved in their Greener Futures Project. It will allow them to continue the work they have been doing and continue to make positive impacts on their local environment.

Usk Primary School was awarded £1,000 for an educational parade! They bought books, ran educational family workshops, and brought the community closer to local nature and conservation organisations. They learned more about the 10 most protected species in their local area, as well as find out concrete ways to help conserve them.

Stanley School was awarded £920 and used it to establish a chicken coop. They used the funds to purchase eggs and incubators, so that the children could watch the chickens hatch and learn about their lifecycles as they grew up.

As the chickens grew, the children helped to build a large chicken enclosure with lots of enrichment to keep them happy and healthy. They helped to raise them, clean their home, feed them and learned a lot about caring for animals and their environment.

Netherthong Primary School was awarded £435 and used the funds to clean and revive their local pond. The whole school is now able to use it for science lessons, pond dipping and learning more about the natural world around them.

Brier Special School was awarded £650 and used their grant to create a wheelchair accessible sensory garden. The students filled it with lavender, nice smelling herbs and long, textured grass. Their sensory garden “provide[s] a holistic sensory experience, foster[s] emotional and psychological well-being, aid[s] cognitive development, promote[s] physical activity, and offer[s] numerous therapeutic benefits.” They reported that the garden will “foster a sense of community and environmental stewardship among students, helping to instil a lifelong appreciation for nature.”