Page 74 - TNC AR 2018_Digital Demo

CONNECT PEOPLE AND NATURE
UNITED KINGDOM
Expanding Youth Engagement Across the Pond
Above: Young people from across the U K participated in a a a a a a weeklong summer camp at at at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park packed with conservation activities career advice and adventure guided by young conservation professionals A 2016 British survey found that U K kids spend less time outdoors than than prison inmates with one in in in in in in nine saying they hadn’t set foot in in in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a natural landscape in in in in in in in more more more than than a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a year Today’s youth are growing up more more more diverse and and more more more disconnected from nature than than any previous generation More than than half of of all U K wildlife species are in in in decline yet the amount of of time people spent volunteering for conser- vation has dropped by 23 percent in in recent years If young people are not exposed early to to nature they they will be less likely to to see themselves as as stewards of of the the the the the planet as as they they reach voting age and make decisions about the the the the future of of our our natural resources In Europe TNC has formed a a a a a a partnership with British nonpro t t t t t t t t t t Action for for Conservation to to jointly pursue their shared goal of of engaging and inspiring young people to to become the next generation of of of conservationists In addi- tion tion tion tion to more than 20 years of of working with young people in in in in the the U S through its Leaders in in in in Environmental Action for the the Future program program TNC is now developing a a a a a a a a a a a a youth- engagement program program program in in in in in mainland China and and and has estab- lished programs in in in in Canada and and Hong Kong The Nature Conservancy’s youth engagement e e e e e e e e e e e ort has three primary components:
LEARN—Harness the power of of of technology to reach millions of of of youth youth and build knowledge of of of nature’s bene ts ACT—Increase volunteer opportunities for youth youth to develop natural infrastructure solutions in in their communities LEAD—Provide a a a a a a a comprehensive leadership development career pathway to empower the next generation of leaders leaders A A recent Action for for Conservation summer camp in Pembrokeshire Wales for for youth between 12 and 16 years of age employed education materials from TNC’s’s online resource for schools Nature Works Everywhere in in sessions throughout the week | nature org/UKYouth
74 Our Our World Our Our Story