Luton & Beds Youth Rangers
A key focus this past year for us and the wider Wildlife Trust movement has been, and will continue to be, engaging with more young people. Across our three counties and the country this has traditionally been achieved via the Youth Ranger programme, which is open to those aged 12-17 and who share an enthusiasm for the natural world and a desire to take part in hands-on conservation activities with the Trust.
The Bedfordshire programme has taken the citizen science approach the past couple of months, with visits to Greensand Trust’s Clophill Lakes and our Totternhoe Nature Reserve.
In April, at Clophill Lakes, we learned how to collect and analyse kick samples from the River Flit, exploring the freshwater invertebrates living there. We also tested ammonia and phosphate levels -important indicators of water quality. At Totternhoe, Youth Rangers joined our Senior Monitoring & Research Officer, Gwen, to help record flowering Man orchids. During the morning we found 8 flowering plants between us, likely due to the hot spell in May, but it was still a great opportunity to explore this beautiful chalk grassland, develop plant ID skills, and spot other species, including common spotted orchid and twayblade.
Summer of 2026 with Luton & Beds Education Team
Photo by Ieva Piraga at Clophill Lakes Nature Reserve
Photo by Ieva Piraga
Photo by Gwen Hitchcock
As part of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Week, our next session will focus on removing Himalayan balsam and goldenrod along the River Lea at Limbury Meads on 27th of June - a hands-on way to see the impact of tackling invasive species.
On 23rd July we will be at Blow’s Downs Nature Reserve for further conservation work on this SSSI chalk grassland site, joined by our Reserves Officer, Matt, and archaeologist Dr Wendy Morrison, who will explore the site’s rich history. For more information and booking visit:
Luton & Beds Youth Rangers at Blow's Downs, Dunstable | Wildlife Trust for Beds Cambs & Northants
Photo by Wilder Luton trainee, Talia Henman (February, 2026)
Wilder Luton Traineeships (Sept 2026 - Feb 2027)
With this focus on working with more young people, we are currently recruiting for another two traineeship positions as part of the National Lottery Heritage Funded project, Wilder Luton. This is a fantastic opportunity for two young people aged 18–25 and living in Luton to join our Communities and Education team for a six-month, part-time paid placement.
Trainees will gain valuable experience in the conservation sector, working with the Wildlife Trust BCN alongside other local nature-based organisations across Luton. Application deadline is 8th of July and to find out more, visit: Wilder Luton Traineeship | Wildlife Trust for Beds Cambs & Northants
School engagement across Bedfordshire
Aside from Youth Rangers and Traineeships we are reaching more young people by working in secondary schools, especially within the Wilder Luton project. Our weekly sessions at Cardinal Newman school continue where students have helped to create three new garden areas now which support pollinating insects and every group we have seems to love the woodwork sessions, making bird boxes or bug hotels. The 6th Form College brought another group of Biology A-Level students onto Bradgers Hill for some data sampling work and we continue to work with the Chiltern Academy students in their wildlife and vegetable garden. With two more secondary schools expressing interest in similar engagement from September onwards, it has been great to see such a positive response from this older age group in addition to our on-going education work with primary schools.
In May we delivered 30 Days Wild assemblies at Kingsmoor Lower School in Flitwick, Arnold Academy in Barton Le-Clay and Laburnum Primary in Sandy as well as our bees and butterflies assembly for all pupils at the Bushmead Primary School in Luton.
As summer approaches and school engagement pauses for the holidays, we look forward to working with more schools in the new academic year - supporting greener grounds, wildlife gardening, delivering assemblies and workshops. For more information about our free assemblies and school services please visit: Bedfordshire Outreach Programme | Wildlife Trust for Beds Cambs & Northants
Workshop at the Higgins
Last month, the Education Team visited The Higgins Museum in Bedford as part of a long-standing partnership, delivering a May half-term workshop for families with children. To mark the opening of Edward Bawden’s “Snails for All” exhibition, the Wildlife Trust was invited to run an engaging, hands-on session all about slugs and snails. Participants learned how to tell them apart, discovered that snails and their relatives have more teeth than any other animal, and enjoyed creating fun, colourful snail-inspired art. Learn more about the exhibition here: Edward Bawden's unseen snail art goes on display in Bedford - BBC News
Photo by Tanja Brueckmann-Rath
Photo by Tanja Brueckmann-Rath
Photo by Tanja Brueckmann-Rath
Upcoming Activities
Kids activity clubs at Wardown Park, Luton
The team will be running the final two children’s activity clubs - Little Bugs and Wild Ed Primary - at Wardown Park’s Arboretum on 2nd and 16th July before taking a well-deserved summer break. However, fear not - our Summer Kids Programme will keep young nature enthusiasts aged 3–10 entertained, with sessions running on three Wednesdays over the holidays. Join us for nature-based fun and activity stations at the Arboretum, and make the most of what the summer holidays - and the Wildlife Trust - have to offer! To find out more and book your place, search for upcoming events on the Wilder Luton page or look for Luton Nature Explorers – Summer Club for Kids.
Photo by Ieva Piraga
As part of the annual Youth Week run by the Wildlife Trust BCN, taking place from 15–23 August, the Bedfordshire team will be offering a range of fun and engaging activities for young people and young adults living in Luton and across Bedfordshire to connect with nature in meaningful ways.
Wild Pages – Nature Journaling & Photography
Saturday 15 August, SIG Penrose Roots, Luton
A creative, nature-inspired afternoon for young people aged 16–25, designed to help you slow down, look more closely at the natural world, and explore wildlife through drawing and photography.
Discover the Downs with the Good Gym
Wednesday 19 August, Dallow Downs Nature Reserve, Luton
Join a local running group to travel to site, then take part in practical conservation tasks including path clearance, litter picking, and invasive species management at Dallow Downs (for adults aged 18-30).
Luton & Beds Youth Rangers
Friday 21 August, Cooper's Hill Nature Reserve, Ampthill
Join Luton & Bedfordshire Youth Rangers (ages 12–17) for a practical conservation session at this unique heathland site. Help remove bracken to support species like heather, and take time to explore Cooper’s Hill.
Photo by Ieva Piraga
Creatures of the Night Summer 2026
Finally, we’re excited to welcome back our summer evening events, celebrating the wonders of nocturnal wildlife at the height of the season.
Creatures of the Night – Totternhoe Nature Reserve
Friday 10 July, evening until midnight
Join us for an after-dark walk exploring the reserve, using bat detectors to identify species, spotting glow-worms, and discovering the fascinating world of moths.
Alternatively, we will also be hosting a Luton Creatures of the Night event on Thursday 6 August at Bradgers Hill, where we’ll explore the nocturnal wildlife - such as bats and moths - that call this site home.