Last week saw the Wilderness Foundation UK deliver the latest cycle of the Sirius Environmental Leadership Award. For this trip we took six young people on a wilderness journey down Loch Shiel in the Western Highlands, making our way down the loch using open canoes and wild camping overnight on the shore line.
"The location couldn't have been better... the campsites chosen were beautiful"
Each year we work with a selection of 18+ year old individuals who can demonstrate a track record and commitment to positive change for the environment and sustainable living. Our aim is to help develop informed leaders for the future who understand, and believe in, the need to find balance between the needs of humans and nature in order to ensure a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet.
This experience has provided me with an opportunity to consider how I can incorporate sustainable practice in to both my life and working world – Jamie, Sirius Graduate 2011
By spending time in nature, having time for facilitated conversations with Sirius guide/leaders, and time for self through solo periods on the hills – a connection to nature grows and is felt in all who take part.
It has allowed me to think more deeply about what environmental work could be- to develop my connection with nature and the whole earth – Hannah, Sirius Graduate 2011
We asked our graduates what they felt the opportunity to participate in Sirius had given them. Here are some of their answers:
- A clearer perspective on environmental sustainability
- Time to reflect on how I can make my environmental work more meaningful
- Energy and new vision and new focus for my work
- It has provided me with a rich experience and given me extra confidence.
The Wilderness Foundation UK, and all of our programme graduates, extend their sincere thanks for this opportunity to our sponsors The Tellus Mater Foundation – a grant-making trust that supports leaders to put in place a low impact future. By working in partnership with Tellus Mater, we have now graduated over forty individuals through the Sirius Environmental Leadership Programme, each of them taking with them into their home and professional lives a better understanding of the pressing issues of our time, as well as a deeper connection to the natural world.
To find out more about our Sirius Leadership Development initiatives, including the new Sirius Schools Programme, please email Richard. You can also learn more from the Sirius pages on our website.