Partnership celebrated on 'island of adventure'

Young people spend International Youth Day (12 August) with Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority and the John Muir Trust

Eleven young people and staff joined Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) rangers to explore the island of Inchcailloch and connect with its amazing history, wildlife and landscapes as part of achieving their John Muir Award (pictured below).

The group was made up of members of Haldane Youth Services (a charity that delivers after school activities for children in West Dunbartonshire) and the Life Improvement Centre Scotland (a Glasgow-based organisation that promotes healthy living and wellbeing).

The group took part in a series of activities to help them enjoy and understand how to care for the natural environment. This included climbing the island summit path to learn all about Inchcailloch’s geology, using chocolate!

Five year partnership

The event coincided with the publication of a joint report from the LLTNPA and John Muir Trust, celebrating over five years of successful partnership working.

The LLTNPA has worked in partnership with the John Muir Trust since 2013, helping over 9,000 people achieve their John Muir Award in the National Park. The report highlights the benefits of the partnership and outlines how the John Muir Trust supports the delivery of key outcomes from the National Park Partnership Plan including helping young people, adults and families of all backgrounds enjoy and value the National Park.

Around 1 in 4 of these National Park John Muir Award recipients experience some form of disadvantage. There have also been 19 training opportunities benefitting almost 300 volunteers and professionals within or surrounding the National Park.

Charlotte Wallace, LLTNPA Volunteering, Engagement and Programme Manager, said: “Today’s adventure on Inchcailloch was a great way to help young people connect with the outdoors and give them an opportunity to enjoy, appreciate and respect wild places, especially those right on their doorstep!”

“Our partnership with the John Muir Trust helps people from a range of backgrounds benefit from engaging with the natural world. We’re excited to be expanding our reach and opening up more opportunities for young people to experience the National Park, taking the chance to learn from them and celebrate their fantastic successes wherever possible.”

Toby Clark, the Trust’s John Muir Award Scotland Manager, said: “Congratulations to all the young people, and our partners at the National Park. They’ve shown us how positively young people respond to opportunities to engage with and take action against biodiversity loss and climate chaos.

“This is a clear reminder that we should stop talking about young people as being ‘the future’, and start celebrating their leadership as active caring citizens who are making a real difference today. I can’t think of many better places to encourage youth social action than in our National Parks.”

Find out more about:

• The John Muir Award and our work with the LLTNPA
• International Youth Day
• Youth Social Action during the Year of Green Action.

Photos courtesy of Phil Thompson