Shropshire eco teens learn essential outdoor survival skills
Pupils from William Brookes School last week proved they deserved their title of ‘UK’s Greenest Teens’ as they celebrated winning npower’s Climate Cops SOS competition.
To mark their award win, ten students embarked on a mini-adventure and mastered essential survival skills, like trekking and fire-making, with the help of wilderness bushcraft expert Ray Mears.
Mears joined the ten pupils from William Brookes School in an interactive bushcraft masterclass, sparking their sense of adventure and imparting upon them key tips and tricks for how to survive in the great outdoors, at The Outward Bound Trust’s Lake District venue.
Earlier in the year, npower and Mears invited students nationwide to put their passion and imagination to the test and prove their green credentials by introducing a new green project into their local area. The initiative called for students nationwide to encourage their fellow teens to put their gadgets down and have fun in the great outdoors.
William Brookes School’s project to create a creative eco-friendly scavenger hunt for their school, impressed Ray Mears and the judging panel with its fresh new take on the traditional hunt, by adding imaginative extras to encourage fellow pupils to take part. Students put their knowledge of their local area to the test to complete the hunt and find the hidden prizes.
As a reward for winning the npower Climate Cops competition, the pupils spent last week on an outdoor experience at The Trust’s Ullswater Centre, designed to help them build their eco-conscience, inspire their sense of adventure, and better understand how to live with minimum environmental impact.
As well as experiencing a week jam-packed with activities, such as hill walking and canoeing, the teens each spent valuable time with Mears, learning how to use Mother Nature’s tools to build practical items to help conquer the elements.
Clare McDougall, npower’s head of education and community, says: “As we know, our children are spending more and more time indoors. We want to inspire this generation’s sense of adventure and get them excited about the prospect of outdoor exploration and play.
“Teaching these survival skills is a fantastic way to demonstrate the fun that the great outdoors can provide and set young people on their way towards a greener future. Not only are the children learning but they are having a great time as well!
“Every year the calibre of entries to the npower Climate Cops SOS programme seem to get better and better and we’re impressed each and every time. With young people like this paving the way, our future really is brighter.”
Ray Mears, npower’s Climate Cops SOS ambassador, comments: “I’ve spent the last couple of days with npower’s Climate Cops SOS winners and continue to be impressed by the imagination, initiative, and respect these young people have for the great outdoors.
“Together we are enjoying the environment and fresh air and I am really impressed by these green-agers – there are definitely some future wildlife warriors amongst them!”
