The Wilder Future Fund

£314,730 of £600,000 Year 2 goal

"If children don't grow up knowing about nature and appreciating it, they will not understand it, and if they don't understand it, they won't protect it, and if they don't protect it who will?" 

- Sir David Attenborough

Building A Wilder Generation

Some children and young people are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature. For some, access to nature and outdoor experiences isn't something they take for granted. This can often lead to a lack of understanding of nature, and sometimes even fear. 

But it doesn't take long for a young person to start to embrace the outdoors and enjoy nature, when given the opportunity. 

Someone stands with red wellies behind a shaggy ink cap mushroom the image is cropped into a circle shape

Credit: Rebecca Neal

 

Our Communities and Education teams witness this impact first-hand in the work they do. 

That's why the latest theme of our Wilder Future Fund is Young People and Nature. Through school visits, family events, educational sessions and career opportunities for young people to gain hands-on experience, we can engage thousands of children and young people to learn and enjoy the wonders of the natural world right on their doorstep.

We know how to make a difference, but we need your support to do it.

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Making a Difference in Young Lives

At the Wildlife Trust BCN, the outreach work we do with schools and local community groups to engage young people with nature provides us with invaluable first-hand experience of seeing the significant impact spending time in nature has. 

A young boy looks at a pond with an older volunteer showing him something

Credit: Holly Wilkinson

"The children are sometimes visibly upset and unsure of being in the 'Wild' at Ramsey Heights. Many of the children in central Peterborough live in flats and may not have been anywhere like this before. They start the day unsure, not wanting to touch anything, but by the time we have done some pond dipping their fear turns to facination, questions start to come and engagement happens. Den building is such an amazing part of the day as teachers see their children in a different setting, sharing, taking decisions, showing leadership skills. The number of times a teacher has commented, 'oh I've not seen 'x' like this before, they are talking more than I've ever seen."

- Primary School Teacher

🔊Debbie - 'Children and young people thrive in nature'

Debbie addresses a group of children in a field

Communities and Education Manager Debbie has spent years at our Education Centre in Paxton Pits witnessing first-hand the huge impact being in and around nature has on children and young people. In this extract from our podcast, In Conservation, she explains the importance of connecting with nature for young lives.

"You can see over the course of just 4 hours (spent in nature) how they (the children) become more confident and come out of themselves as they settle into the natural surroundings."

Your donation can help give more children and young people the chance to experience nature for themselves.

Donate Now

Young Voices For Nature

Hear from passionate young people about the impact nature has had on them and why they think connection to nature is so important. 

🔊Harvey - 'Connecting with nature gives me time away from my worries'

Harvey is a member of the Young People's Forum at the Wildlife Trust BCN. He didn't start out with a particular interest in nature, however. Instead, he discovered going out for walks into green spaces helped him find reprive from day-to-day stresses and life and allowed him to just breathe and take time for himself. Listen to his experience in this extract from our podcast, In Conservation. 

"Just being out in the fresh air allowed me to chill out and take some time away from daily worries and stresses."

A young Emma stands with her dad in Trumpington Meadows, holdaing a sweep net.

Young Emma and her dad at Trumpington Meadows

📖Emma's Blog: Can We Reconnect Young People With Nature?

15 year-old Emma shares her own thoughts and experiences on why her peers are disconnected from the natural world, and what might help to bring them closer to nature. 

Read More

 

🔊Kaitlyn - 'The Wildlife Trust introduced me to the possibilities of working in nature conservation. I've now made it my career'

Kaitlyn is another member of our Young People's Forum and completed a traineeship with us earlier on in the year. She struggled with her mental health during her time at university and found after an experience of volunteering with her local Wildlife Trust that working in nature with like-minded people made a huge difference for her. Now, Kaitlyn continues to passionately develop a career in nature conservation. 

"Discovering that (volunteering with the Wildlife Trust) was a defining moment for me... my first time volunteering I came away smiling for the first time in a long while."

Your donation can help give more children and young people the chance to experience nature for themselves.

A group of teens gather around to look at what they have caught in their sweep nets on a field

Raising £300

Could pay for a full day of educational nature sessions for children and young people.
Donate now
child with binoculars David Tipling/2020VISION

Raising £1,125

Could pay for a set of 15 binoculars for a class to help them spot and engage with wildlife.
Donate now
Trainee Katie using a longsaw to chop a tree in a ditch

Raising £15,000

Could cover a six-month paid trainee placement for a young person looking to start a career in conservation.
Donate now

You can be sure your money will go towards helping nature recover and achieve the vision of more nature everywhere. 

Donations from the appeal will be classified as unrestricted and used by the Wildlife Trust BCN to achieve its charitable purposes, progressing work to restore wildlife, recover landscapes and engage communities. 

FAQs

What is the Wilder Future Fund?

The Wilder Future Fund is an ambitious effort to raise £1.5 million over the next five years to help nature recover across our three counties.

Focussing on three critical areas, the aim is to: 

  • Put nature into recovery
  • Help communities take action for wildlife
  • Work on nature-based solutions for a changing climate

The Wilder Future Fund supports the vital work we do for all the habitats and species we care for across our reserves and wider countryside. After previously spotlighting wetlands and woodlands, we’re now turning our attention to engaging young people with nature.

We know what we need to do, but we need your help to step up our work for a wilder future.

Donate to the Wilder Future Fund

Help us build a wilder future by engaging young people with nature
£

Discover more Wilder Future Fund themes:

Ancient woodland
Wilder Future Fund

Woodlands

Discover more about our work to secure a wilder future for our woodlands.
Wetlands
Wilder Future Fund

Wetlands

Discover more about our work to secure a wilder future for our wetlands.
A wildflower meadow beneath a cloudy sky, with a row of trees in the distance. The meadow is filled with colourful flowers and green grasses. In the foreground are two tall, pink towers of common spotted orchid flowers. A black and white marbled white butterfly rests on one
Wilder Future Fund

Meadows & Grasslands

Discover more about our work to secure a wilder future for our meadows & grasslands.

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My grandsons (4 and 6 yrs) spent 2 days baking cakes, gingerbread and bread rolls and then had a 'bake sale' to raise this money. Thank you to everyone who made purchases.

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In loving memory of Alastair Taylor. -c2b team, Texas

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