A few months ago I decided I wanted to take a break from teaching to walk the length of the UK, wild camping the majority of the time. One of the reasons for this was my desire to get back in touch with nature and to live life as basic as possible, before returning back to the profession. 

Having been an environmentalist most of my life, I was starting to get extremely pessimistic with the state of the world and wanted to experience and enjoy the little wildlife that we have left in the UK before it's too late. Climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss and species extinction are some of the biggest environmental issues that we are facing in the world today, most people are aware of this and yet it seems the problems continue to get worse. This is where my chosen charity come into the picture....

Action for Conservation are a UK based charity (created by a close friend of my sisters), who empower and inspire students to become the next generation of environmental leaders. They do this by running WildEd work shops in schools, residential conservation camps and a youth ambassador mentoring programme. In 2019 they launched the world's largest youth-led nature restoration initiative on a 2000 acre estate in the Brecon Beacons. It has been shown that students from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds have very little access to nature. These programmes are designed to connect these students to the natural world around us. 

Two years running students from the school I worked for participated in the WildEd program. I have seen first hand the impact that these programmes have on students, inspiring them to work together to create and see through environmental projects in their local area. The students loved participating in these workshops and it gave them the sense of empowerment to be able to do something good for the world. One student went on to participate in the camps and become an ambassador. 

I know that education is the greatest tool to create change for a better world and it is charities such as Action for Conservation which makes me more optimistic for the future. 

Please help me to help them continue to do what they do so well. Any donation big or small will help them with their vision but also keep me moving through the miles, the bog, up the mountains and coping with the pain! 

If you wish to follow me on Instagram, it is: redlentil86. 

Thank you, 

Jo xx