This training scheme aimed at getting people not in employment, education or training (NEET) involved in reptile and amphibian conservation.
Wildlife Ambassadors was an exciting education project launched in July 2010 and funded by Natural England as part of its Access to Nature programme (part of the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme). The project concluded in September 2013.
The ground-breaking project created networks of ‘ambassadors’ for amphibians and reptiles, focusing particularly on audiences that were new to wildlife conservation. The project created tailor made training programmes for Ambassadors, helping them start new careers, or amateur interest, in wildlife conservation.
The project worked closely with a number of celebrities, such as presenter Charlie Dimmock, snooker legend Willie Thorne, wildlife presenters Nick Baker and Mike Dilger and champion hurdler William Sharman, who took part in wildlife and conservation training to inspire others to give it a go. The aim of the project was to train a range of people to speak up for wildlife, encouraging them to make conservation-friendly choices in their lives and careers. Some of the activities Ambassadors took part in were:
- Arts and crafts, such as willow weaving and activities for young people
- Pond building
- Improvement to local green spaces
- Pond dipping
- Wildlife gardening
- Wildlife photography
- Wildlife surveys
A video with some Wildlife Ambassadors talking about their experiences is online here
With the project completed, we are thrilled to have beaten all targets set for the project. You can download the full report from this project here: Wildlife Ambassadors Project Report
Below is a short film from the final celebration event at the Green Backyard in Peterborough with Nick Baker.
Wildlife Ambassadors Making a Difference
The Wildlife Ambassadors worked on improving a variety of sites across Peterborough over the 3 years.
These sites were:
-Hampton Nature Reserve
-NHS Drop In Gardens
–Olive Branch Community Gardens
-Dogsthorpe Rd Allotment
The Peterborough Telegraph also came along to film the Ambassadors at work in the Museum Garden: