Field notes: Training day at Nevis

John Muir Award Scotland Manager Toby Clark reports on a fruitful day spent inspiring our partners at The Outward Bound Trust about our plans for engagement and exemplary land management.

The year got off to a great start when Nevis Conservation Officer Nathan Berrie joined me in Glen Nevis for a day spent with our partners.

The morning saw a dozen Outward Bound Trust Loch Eil outdoor instructing staff join us for a 'leadership’ walk up to Steall Meadows. We talked about how the Trust manages browsing animals (deer), visitors and community collaboration - and how Outward Bound can contribute.

^ Nathan helps restore damage created by a vistor's fire pit.

The outdoor instructors were particularly interested in how they can help protect wild places through the work they do, and how wild places can help the people they work with thrive.

We asked our guests to describe their special qualities of Nevis as a wild place and they shared a selection of words that the wild place evoked: air, water, great accessible nature, awe-inspiring, educational, peaceful, picturesque, "I can’t believe it’s the UK", stillness, feels remote, rugged views, trees, evoking a feeling of 'taking notice'.

In the afternoon, I delivered John Muir Award training to new staff back at their Loch Eil centre as part of our partnership. Currently the Outward Bound Trust delivers the John Muir Award across its centres in Wales and the Lake District, as well as Lochaber.

^ Outward Bound Trust staff enjoy a leadership walk and talk in Glen Nevis.