Today a Chelmsford-based charity aiming to boost the mental wellbeing of disadvantaged young people from urban areas through nature-based activities is among five projects in the East of England region benefiting from an award from Big Lottery Fund (BIG).

The Wilderness Foundation UK plans to use their £120,000 grant to run six week courses for young people living in Essex and East London. According to a Natural England study in 2009, only 10% of today’s generation of youth have regular access to nature, compared to the 40% of adults who did when they were young.

The Wilderness Foundation UK course will include a camping weekend in the wild, focused on developing skills and positive life choices across health, exercise and relationships, with including drugs and alcohol awareness, bushcraft, nature-based art and sailing. Beneficiaries will be referred from agencies including youth offending teams, social services and after care teams.

In partnership with the University of Essex, The Wilderness Foundation UK carried out groundbreaking research to highlight the positive link between connectedness to nature and significant increases in self-esteem. The published study showed that levels of self-esteem, trust and mood factors improved dramatically following wilderness trails and outdoor experiences.

Jo Roberts, Chief Executive of The Wilderness Foundation UK, said: “We are living in an age where young people are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature as well as society. In the Out There Academy we will reach under 16s who are still in a formative stage of development emotionally and socially, and through intensive personal development support and one-to-one mentoring, will offer them a great opportunity to build self esteem, aspiration and life skills and be the best they can be.

“Being in Nature is the perfect classroom in which to do this as it is inspirational, peaceful and makes people feel good.”

Today’s funding for the region of over £1.3m is from BIG’s Reaching Communities programme  which aims to help those most in need and build stronger communities.

Wellbeing for youth through £1.3million wilderness award

The nice people at Inspired Times wanted to run a feature on nature tourism and who better to speak to than the Wilderness Foundation UK?  Tegan Tallulah writes:

In our modern, fast paced, and increasingly city-centered lives,  the importance of reconnecting with Mother Nature has never been greater. Jo Roberts, from the Wilderness Foundation, comments on the wilderness experience:

“It gives one a totally new perspective on our place in the wider scheme of things,”
she enthuses. “Having a pack on my back, falling asleep with a myriad of stars above my head, knowing that I don’t need more than my bare basics to be contented, is so liberating.” The
Wilderness Foundation (www.wildernessfoundation.org.uk)  runs wilderness trails to
allow people this revitalizing experience.

You can keep up with all the latest news and information from Inspired Times on their website www.inspiredtimesmagazine.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Inspiredtimesfans or by following them on twitter @InspiredTimes.

Inspired!

The purpose of the ecoSelf project is to encourage people to live within ecological limits motivated by their embodied sense of ecological identity – rather than moral obligation, ethical duty or rational debate.

The project is the professional home of David Key, who offers ecopsychology courses,programme design, facilitation, mentoring, research and writing.

Lombard Farm, Cornwall:
23rd – 29th June 2012
Through mindfulness practice and other contemplative work outdoors, this course offers a chance to attend to our deep interconnectedness with our wider ecology. With this skilful attention comes a renewed sense of self, and the potential to return home to ourselves as part of nature.

Importantly, by means of shared reflection, we will also explore how these wild meditation experiences might inform our personal response to our current ecological crises.

More info…

Book online…

Click here for a full list of courses…

Please remember to mention the Wilderness Foundation UK when requesting further information.   Thank you.

Wild Mindfulness Course

Two Wilderness Foundation UK projects have been shortlisted for this year’s Heart of Essex Award running in the Essex Chronicle and the Brentwood Gazette.  You can vote for the project that you think deserves a share of the £8,000 prize fund.   We hope you will think it’s one of ours!

Nominations are split into three categories:

Education      Community      Environment

Prizes will be as follows:
3 x £1,500 for each of the category winners
3 x £700 for a runner-up in each category

Closing date for votes is Friday 25 May 2012

Our shortlisted projects are:

Education Category – TurnAround

The TurnAround Project works with the most vulnerable young people in our communities across Essex.  The project works with young people for a minimum of 9 months, who go on wilderness journeys by boat, canoe or on foot in the wildest parts of Scotland.

Voting code: 043

Environment Category – Down to Earth

This project has been designed to encourage strong community relationships while spreading awareness of sustainability, environmental issues, organic principles, local food issues and benefits to health.  Funds are used to pay for sessional instructors to support people in growing their own food, as well as buying seeds, plants and equipment.

Voting code: 056

To vote via text simply text EC HOE, project code, your name and postcode e.g. EC HOE 043 Joe Bloggs CM3 3FE to 65100.  Don’t forget to include the spaces!

Text lines will open on 9th May.

Texts will cost 50p plus one standard network message.

If we can win some of this funding it really will make a difference to people in our community.    Connecting Wilderness and People.   Preserving wild places and changing lives.

Thank you for your support.

Heart of Essex 2012

Initiated by the Wilderness Foundation and SA National Parks (SANParks), the two-year first phase of the corridor project will launch in mid-May with a meeting in Graaff-Reinet.

Read more about this exciting news at: http://www.peherald.com/news/article/5860

Conservation Corridor Plan

In May 2011, the Wilderness Foundation set up a petition to voice the public’s outcry over the cruelty of rhino poaching. The petition, which was taken to the highest governmental powers in March 2012, is a vital part of the Wilderness Foundation’s lobbying campaign. It received over 18,000 signatures from around the world, and together with an integrated YouTube and social media campaign, generated worldwide awareness of the rhino poaching crisis.

The Wilderness Foundation Africa’s CEO, Andrew Muir, took the petition to South African parliament on Thursday, 26 January 2012 where he addressed the portfolio committee on the topic of rhino poaching. He also delivered the devastating facts of the South African rhino poaching crisis to over 70 senior staff of US Senators and Congressmen who are members of the International Conservation Caucus (ICC) at an ICC Foundation hosted event in Washington, DC on Monday, March 05, 2012.

The Foundation continues to lobby various governmental and private agencies to raise awareness for the cause. The Wilderness Foundation believes that without the intervention of government and the public, the rhino may be extinct in the next ten years.

In May 2012, the Foundation printed and distributed thousands of flyers and posters encouraging whistle blowers to come forward with information related to rhino poaching through a tip-off line. “Someone knows someone who knows something!”

Forever Wild launches anti-poaching tip-off line

We are pleased to advise that our telephone and email service was restored just after 5:00 p.m. today.   We will be working through the backlog of emails and phone messages and be in touch with you as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience.

Communications down

Starting  1 May,  a Wilderness Foundation team of dedicated conservationists will traverse over 5,000 kilometres through six countries, west to east through South Africa on a  wilderness trek — they will complete the entire journey on foot, in kayak, and on mountain bike, without the use of motorized transportation.  This expedition, Tracks of Giants, will raise global awareness of the importance of human/wildlife issues and transfrontier conservation – nature conservation across political borders — in Southern Africa .

The key people in the expedition team are:

• Ian McCallum – a medical doctor, psychiatrist, writer and a specialist wilderness guide.
• Ian Michler – a top specialist wilderness guide, photojournalist and naturalist.
• Lihle Mbokazi – Experiential Education Manager at the Wilderness Foundation, South Africa.
• Mandlenkosi Mbekezeli  Buthelezi, known as Mandla to his friends and co-workers, is a 40 year old Zulu family man of the royal Zulu bloodline.

The Tracks of Giants expedition will explore conservation models that include traditional knowledge, and ecological thinking and implementation, to bridge the gap between the needs of wildlife, humans and the changing environment.

Follow the Tracks of Giants!

Official website: www.tracksofgiants.org

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tracksofgiants

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tracksofgiants

You can also make a donation in support of the expedition through the Wilderness Foundation website

We’re sure that this will be an exciting and eventful journey and will be eagerly following the progress of our friends and colleagues each day.  We hope you will too!

In the Tracks of Giants

Jock of the Bushveld is an enthralling animated movie of a wonderful dog in the wilds of Africa – Dr. Ian Player, Founder – Wilderness Foundation

FOUR SHORT LEGS, ONE HUGE HEART

Jock of the Bushveld is Africa’s great animal classic.  Now, a 3D animated movie has been made by Duncan MacNeillie and his team and the Wilderness Foundation UK is delighted to be holding the UK premier of the new film.

Our fundraising event takes place on Wednesday 13th June 2012 and will be hosted at the South African High Commission in London.   Proceeds will go towards supporting the Wilderness Foundation and our Forever Wild campaign raising awareness of the increasing threat to the rhino population from ivory poachers.

The time is 1873 and the world has gone gold crazy.   This is the time of the first gold rush in Africa and corruption and greed are rife.   Hunting has become very popular and killing wild animals is a favourite past time.  This is the setting for Jock.

In the harsh wilderness of South-East Africa a young puppy, Jock, is saved from drowning and certain death, and groomed into a fearless and faithful dog who goes on to become a folk legend for his bravery and loyalty to his master.

Jock meets Fitz, a young man, who after having no luck in finding gold becomes a courier.  They spark an immediate friendship and it is this friendship that sees them through many adventures in the wild. 

Starring the voices of Bryan Adams, Donald Sutherland, Helen Hunt, Archibishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Mandy Patinkin and Ted Danson this wonderful new movie of a favourite story is an event not to be missed.

Event Details

Date:  Wednesday 13th June 2012

Time: 6:30 p.m. til 10:00 p.m.

Venue:  The Kinema, South African High Commission, Trafalgar Square, London.

Price:  £40.00 per person including supper

Please note:   As this event is being held at the South African High Commission, all tickets must be bought and paid for in advance.  Thank you.

If you are unable to attend on the night but would still like to support the “Forever Wild” campaign you can make a donation to our rhino protection fund by clicking here.

How to book

Click here to download a postal booking form

or alternatively use the form below to pay online with any major debit or credit card.

Events: UK Premier of Jock of the Bushveld Animated Movie

Bushcraft – Skills for Life

Saturday 5th May 2012

10.30am to 3.30pm

£15.00 per person

Bushcraft at Marks Hall