Accessing the John Muir Award remotely

Organisations like Galloway Glens are offering remote support for people to access their local wild areas using our John Muir Award

Across the UK, organisations are seeking new adapted ways to engage communities with nature and wild places during the pandemic.

The Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership regularly engages with young people using the John Muir Award to give them an appreciation for wild places and their natural heritage. Last year, COVID-19 restrictions meant they had to switch to an online programme for achieving a John Muir Award.

During July and August 2020, they supported 24 people in choosing their activities and finding wild places to Discover, Explore, Conserve and Share. It was a great success, with everyone reporting that they would have been unlikely to take part in a John Muir Award without this programme, and in turn that they have been inspired to spend more time enjoying and caring for local wild places in the future.

Recognising that many other organisations could learn from their experience, Galloway Glens shared their findings in a report. Highlights included:

• The number of people completing the Award was significantly lower than the number who signed up - but, as a percentage, this number was higher when compared to recent research on other online courses.
• The quality of engagement from those embracing the programme was high.
• This format worked best for families already confident in the outdoors, adding value through framing their time spent in nature.
• The Facebook group created to communicate ideas between participants was reported as being inspiring, supportive and encouraging of getting outdoors.
• Building on the work and resources created through this project, especially by those of the younger participants, Galloway Glens has been inspired with ideas for future projects for engaging with young people directly.

The Galloway Glens report also shared the processes and timelines used to organise their project, the levels of engagement and completion rates, details on branding and promotion, as well as activity examples for the Award Four Challenges.

Project co-ordinator Mary Smith said: “We use the John Muir Award because we want to encourage increased knowledge of, and familiarity with, people’s local environment and wildlife. This will inspire curiosity and love for spending time in wild places and develop opportunities for enjoying, conserving and working outdoors.”

The Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership is a National Lottery Heritage Fund project that aims to connect local people with their natural, cultural and built heritage.

• Find out more: Read our guidance on how groups and organisations are adapting to remote John Muir Award delivery during the pandemic.

Image: Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership