Scrapbook
Welcome to the Youngwilders' Scrapbook. Here we post bits and bobs, silly, serious and sentimental alike. Have a gander!
Youth Perspective at COP16
Josh Shaw's blog on COP16 from in the inside!
Click the big ol' grey DOCX icon to read! --------------->
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Dee Sharma pictured above getting it done ​
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About the Programme
We've long been believers that nature engaement, especially for young people, can and should be as creative as possible. Whatever ways we've tried the last few hundred years hasn't been working, so exploring alternatives is an essential component to successful environmentalism.
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Against the backdrop of this era defining task, we set up our first Artist in Residence programme at our longest running site, Maple Farm, with the brief to make site-relevant art that gets young people excited about and connected to the natural world.
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Enter Dee! Their AiR work below and an accompanying workshop has been all over the UK, in galleries, universities, outreach events and bars, wherever interested youths are to be found.
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Find below a beautiful project description from Dee and the field recordings they made across the year.
Of Maple Farm: Sounds and Souls - by Dee Sharma
Maple Farm, cradled in the heart of the South East, now thrives under the stewardship of Youngwilders, a place where time seems to stretch and breathe with the pulse of nature itself. It’s here, amidst acres of wild meadows and oak trees, that my journey with bioacoustics and field recordings truly began. The sounds captured within these walls of living history are not just mere recordings; they are fragments of life, the whispers of fallen sticks and rocks, the soft murmur of nesting birds in the oak branches, the intricate hum of ant farms among buttercup fields, and the voices of those gathered around campfires, weaving stories under the wide open sky.
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This farm, a sanctuary for insects, birds, and mammals (including occasional sightings of the Youngwilder stewards themselves), is a living testament to the land’s reclamation and resurgence. It was the nightingales, singing their hearts out in the peak of breeding season, that first beckoned me to this place, sparking a need to capture their song, to preserve it, fearing that it might be the last time I’d hear their call.
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For me, the art of field recording has become a pilgrimage, a way to truly be with the land, to honor its presence through the delicate, unseen threads of sound. I’ve learned that presence is not just about sight, but sound, a quiet immersion into every breath the earth takes. By listening, we remember that we are alive, here, in this moment.
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What you hold in your hands now are the aural trinkets of that journey, each sound a small testament to the life unfolding on Maple Farm. Listen closely, for these are the sounds of a world coming back into itself, carried on the wings of a nightingale's song, the rustle of the wind, and the silence between.
The power of young people in nature recovery
To mark the 75th Anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, Layla and Molly spoke about the importance of youth involvement at Natural England's Annual Reception. Below is a summary of that speech, written by Layla.
Attendees prepare for an insect sweep at a Youngwilders field skills weekend
In a time characterised by worrying environmental news and increasing eco-anxiety, hope is not lost. Across the country and the world, young people are refusing to accept a future where large-scale nature-loss remains unchecked. Now is our opportunity to learn from, be inspired by, and, most importantly, include young people in how we shape the environmental sector going forward. We are breaking down traditional and often exclusionary ways of connecting with the natural world by rebuilding our lost connections through music, design, storytelling and social justice. We refuse to see nature in a silo and can recognise how human and environmental justice is inextricably linked, looking to Gaza and Congo where protecting and preserving land remains a powerful act of resilience.
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To unleash this energy from young people, the environmental sector must adapt. A genuine green economy must prioritise inclusivity. Unpaid internships and the requirement for extensive volunteering must become a thing of the past, replaced with accessible entry-level positions. We must also ensure that young people who hold minoritised identities see a future for themselves in this field. We can look to programmes like the London Wildlife Trust’s Keeping it Wild traineeship, which sets a powerful blueprint for expanding participation to embrace young people who see nature as interdisciplinary, and are impatient to use their talents to drive its recovery. At Youngwilders, our dual mission of accelerating nature recovery and involving young people in the process and movement ensures we always take and create new opportunities to connect people to the natural world.
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Put crudely, youth involvement is tactically sensible to ensure the sector thrives. Put passionately, it is a question of justice as it is young people who will live with the consequences of decisions made today. The 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act understood this, calling for greater access to nature for all. It is beautiful then that we return to the roots of the Act today to both celebrate this milestone and use it to shape our collective future.
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Layla Mapemba, 24, Engagement Officer at Youngwilders
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Some environmental groups/individuals working with young and/or minoritised people:
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Sustainably Muslim
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Peaks of Colour
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@outsidewithlira
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Black Girls Hike
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Dykes Who Hike
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UK Youth 4 Nature
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@fungi.futures
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Global Generation
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Bertha Earth
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UK Youth Climate Coalition
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All The Elements
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@miseryparty
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Wanders of Colour
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@citygirlinnature
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@landinournames (LION).