Entrants needed to submit a plan to engage people with a particular green space and the nature found within it, whether at their school or college, a local nature reserve, a community space or private land with public access. 

The winners in the 16-18 category are Iska Metz and Tatiana Hale, students at Fairfield High School. Their bold plan is to transform a disused overgrown area of the school grounds into a  

space for education and conservation, engaging students and the local community. They plan to introduce diversity through habitat creation e.g. tree planting and wildflower spreading. They will also install vegetable and herb beds to influence self-sustainability at school.   

Iska and Tatiana said: 

 "We are so excited to have gained the opportunity to work at a project like this, we can’t wait for what it will bring and hope it will be monumental in inspiring young people in our community to work with nature and see the beauty within it" 

The winner in the 18-25 category is Charles Gundy, a teacher living and working in Hereford, with his project, “Weaving Nature: Reviving the River Wye through Art, Awareness and Wellbeing.” This is a hands-on creative project with the aim of fostering a deeper connection between the community of Hereford city and the River Wye, emphasizing biodiversity, mental wellbeing and river health.  

Charles says: 

"I'm honoured to receive the Howard Bulmer Young Nature Champion Award. This project is a chance to celebrate the River Wye and reconnect people with the natural world through creative, community-based action. I’m excited to begin working with the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust to bring this vision to life." 

Edward Bulmer,  trustee of The Howard Bulmer Charitable Trust, commented: 

“We are pleased to have one project that is high profile in Hereford about the River Wye at King George V Playing Fields and the other that is embedded within a school and community.”  

Julia Morton, Youth and Wellbeing Officer at Herefordshire Wildlife Trust says: 

“I loved reading all the applications and am looking forward to supporting Iska, Tatiana and Charles as their idea become a reality. They are all deserved winners. Congratulations!” 

The new award scheme is just one of a series of new initiatives being trialled by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust to offer young people more opportunities to gain practical experience in conservation and learn more about wildlife as well as to boost their wellbeing through connecting with nature. 

Further information on our youth work can be found at: 

https://www.herefordshirewt.org/takeaction/generation-nature-16-25-year-olds 

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust is the largest member-based nature conservation organisation in the county, with over 6,500 members, 500 volunteers and 60 nature reserves across Herefordshire. The Trust has 60 years’ experience of managing sites valuable to wildlife and people and runs a variety of projects and partnership initiatives from environmental education programmes to conservation projects to protect, restore and celebrate Herefordshire's landscapes and wildlife. The Trust is part of the federation of 46 Wildlife Trusts based across the British Isles.  www.herefordshirewt.org   

The Howard Bulmer Charitable Trust is a registered charity established shortly before Howard Bulmer’s death in March 1985. The charity’s objectives reflect Howard’s personal interests with the core mission being to foster a deeper connection with nature and support the wellbeing and education of young people. HBCT Home - Howard Bulmer Charitable Trust