Young people connect with nature across Scotland

Young people connect with nature across Scotland - Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups

The Estates that Educate initiative has returned for 2023 offering young people a hands-on experience of the variety of activities undertaken by Scottish estates to maintain the unique biodiversity of the uplands.

From the Southern Uplands to the Angus Glens, Grampian, Tayside and the banks of Loch Ness, nearly 2,000 young people will have taken part in a training session by the end of the year, gaining a valuable insight into rural careers and helping them connect with nature.

back view of a group of young children wearing purple coats and green caps looking at a man in a green polo top holding the lead rein of a dun coloured pony — Children being introduced to a hill pony (photo: Kirk Norbury)

Lianne MacLennan, National Campaigns Manager of Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups said: “Many of these children and young people live close by but have never come up on to the moors. They don’t have that connection with nature that gamekeepers and shepherds do, who are lucky enough to be surrounded by this natural beauty all year round. Even just listening to all the different birdsongs or seeing a mountain hare for the first time is a valuable experience and helps them appreciate the species that make the moors their home.”

Activities on offer include: how to identify and record wildlife sightings, sheep shearing, feeding lambs, fishing, foraging, cooking and tasting game or venison, working with gundogs and with hill ponies, forestry and tree planting, deer management, repairing vehicles such as Argocats and 4x4s, building bird boxes, the Countryside Code, safety on the moors and wildfire prevention.

John and Catriona Frankitti of Innes Ross will provide a foraging session, teaching the young people how to make nettle pesto and homemade ketchup from foraged berries. They will also provide samples of various types of venison and game paté, for the children to try.

Over 100 members of estate staff will provide a combined 3,800 hours of skills-based education.

One session will outline the range of upland habitats and plant life, including sphagnum mosses, blaeberry and cottongrass, which are home to a range of important insects and pollinators.