Imbewu Scotland

Connecting Urban Youth and Rural Heritage

Essex University Review of two year pilot programme

An initiative of the registered charity Wilderness Foundation UK (SC041693) and Scottish Land & Estates Limited

Introduction

Our youth face some of the greatest challenges of any generation through history, due to increasing urbanisation, economic crises and over population. This includes their loss of a vital connection to the natural world and rural heritage skills, thus impacting on wellbeing and sustainable futures.

Launched in 2013, Imbewu Scotland is an intergenerational project which shares the knowledge and wisdom of stalkers, ghillies and other experienced countrymen and women who live and work on rural estates, with young people from urban backgrounds who have demonstrated an interest in nature, learning rural skills and enjoyment of the outdoors.

Week long residential trails, including wilderness journeys and experiences in the most remote and beautiful parts of rural Scotland, enable those selected to grow an awareness and love of nature and the outdoors, which is part of their natural heritage.

The project aligns closely with a number of the Scottish Government National Outcomes. It assists in delivering the aims of the Land Use Strategy and in the work being undertaken to link children to the land through the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland.

Heritage

Imbewu Scotland is based on a similar successful project delivered in South Africa since the 1990’s. The project aimed to link young people who were dissociated from their ecological and natural heritage (in this case areas in National Parks) with ‘elders’ such as retired game rangers, who worked in and understand the natural environment, and to help young people grow an interest in the outdoors and connect to nature.

The UK programme is a joint initiative between Wilderness Foundation and Scottish Land & Estates.

The Wilderness Foundation has for thirty years been connecting people with wild places, through pioneering initiatives and projects that serve social and environmental sustainability. We have a proven track record in nature based learning, coupled with robust learning outcomes in order to develop young leaders of the future.

Scottish Land & Estates represents landowners, land managers and rural businesses across Scotland. The organisation promotes the wide range of benefits that land-based businesses provide including tourist attractions, recreation facilities and landscapes enjoyed by the public, as well as housing, employment, tourism and enterprise and farming. The organisation is firmly committed to increasing the ways in which people can connect with the land.

We are supported in delivering the programme by a number of landowners across Scotland who have provided access to their estates. These include: Atholl Estates, Douglas and Angus Estate, Glenkindie, Glen Tanar, Mar Lodge Estate and the MacRobert Trust. We wish to express our sincere thanks to these and all our partners for supporting the delivery of the first two years of Imbewu Scotland. Delivery and Achievements

In the pages that follow, we report on our landmark outcomes and achievements, together with an analysis of performance against identified targets.

Experiential Learning Courses

In total ten experiential learning weeks were delivered across six estates during the pilot two years. Places were offered to 103 young people in total. Participants were drawn from Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, Fife, City of Glasgow and North Lanarkshire authority areas (Appendix 1).

One of our stated outputs was to attract applicants from the CSGN and wherever possible from schools within the lower quartile of the SMID. Pupils from Aberdeenshire (Gordon Schools, Meldrum Academy, Porthlthen Academy and Kemnay Academy) Perth & Kinross (Perth Grammar and Breadalbane Academy) came from these areas, as did all pupils from Fife (Kirkland High School, Kirkcaldy High School, Kilsyth Academy and Buckhaven High School) and Glasgow (Hollybrook Academy) all came from schools in the lowest 15% of SMID.

Participant Selection

We worked closely with all the schools – Head Teachers, Deputy Head Teachers, Support & Learning Staff to identify those who would be most likely to benefit from the experience. The interview and selection process was carefully planned so no pupils who expressed an interest in coming on a trail were disadvantaged by communication skills; one way in which this happened was the statement which each applicant had to complete – we accepted written statements, artwork or other forms in which the applicants could demonstrate their interest in nature and learning about the opportunities for work in the rural sector.

All participants were identified by their schools as being deserving of a place. Many had experienced poverty of opportunity for a variety of reasons e.g. the death or long term illness of a parent or difficulty in reaching their potential in school as a result of a learning difficulty or other barrier to learning, including challenging circumstances at home. Some were regular non-attenders at school; in some cases, staff have subsequently reported an increase in attendance which has been attributed to their Imbewu experience. Senior staff from The Wilderness Foundation conducted all the interviews, and when needed consulted with relevant school staff before places were offered.

Course Content

Each course comprised of a three day wild camping programme (supported by the Wilderness Foundation’s Education Officer in Scotland, a support staff member and two guides from Wilderness Scotland Limited) and a two day residential programme (led by Education Officer) providing opportunities to shadow estate staff and make a contribution to the local community/community environment through conservation volunteering (Appendix 2).

We delivered a curriculum (Appendix 3) that included: Access to Nature; Ecological Heritage/History of the Landscape; Conservation Practice; Estate Management; Ecosystem Services; Rural Heritage Skills; Sustainable Land Management; Links between Nature and Human Wellbeing. This was achieved by working with estate owners and staff, especially wildlife rangers, as well as bodies such as the Wildlife Crime Unit and Cairngorm National Park Authority.

All participants completing the experiential learning courses achieved a Leave No Trace Awareness accreditation (certificated) and the John Muir Discovery Award. A final presentation ceremony is attended by representatives of the host estate (including local members of parliament).

As part of our project evaluation, participants completed entry and exit questionnaires that have been evaluated by the University of Essex. (Their findings are presented in Appendix 4.)1

A one year post experience follow-up will also be conducted to assess the lasting benefit of the Imbewu Scotland experience.

Post Trail On completion of the learning week, students returned to school but continued to have an ongoing relationship with Imbewu Scotland through outreach (Appendix 5) and provision of a Pathway to Progress handbook. This further support provided graduates with a toolkit to help them find additional experience opportunities, as well as signposting to further education courses relevant to the land based skills sector and employment opportunities (such as apprenticeships).

Staff in schools also work closely with the young people following their Imbewu experience to identify local opportunities for rural skills based work experience and further education courses.

As a result, in Aberdeenshire, several pupils have found work on farms and have found placements with local employers including Agricar, Ringlink, Grampian Growers and The James Hutton Institute. Opportunities have also arisen at Glenbervie Estate and Drumtochty Castle Estate. Young people from across Aberdeenshire and the central belt are also signposted to Dundee and Angus College which offers Countryside Skills as an SCQF Level 4 award in school. Several of our partner schools offer Duke of Edinburgh Award courses and the next levels of the John Muir Award (Explorer & Conserver), opportunities which a significant number of our Imbewu alumni have taken up.

Risk Management

Prior to commencing delivery of Imbewu, we undertook a comprehensive risk analysis to identify possible risks to the project succeeding. With complete safeguarding. We have commented below on those identified risks which we did have to respond to during the delivery of the programme and how we managed those situations.

Identified Risk How we responded People dropping out after signing up The small number of withdrawals in both 2013 and 2014 all happened too near the start of the trail to be able to find substitutes, despite the efforts of the schools. Key staff leave SL&E or WFUK Ltd Although no key staff left WFUK, the Project Co- ordinator was taken ill and admitted to hospital 2 days before the start of the first trail in 2014. He then had open heart surgery.

Educational and facilitation staff were drafted in to ensure the remaining trails could be delivered to the required standard. Our CEO and Operations Manager assisted our Education Officer in delivering the trails.

1 There is a variance between the number of young people offered places and the figures on which The University of Essex findings are based due mainly to cancellations as a result of illness.

Post Experience Outcomes

As part of our monitoring and evaluation process and follow-up work with schools, we sent out a questionnaire to schools to capture evidence of the long-term affect the Imbewu experience had on our young people.

We wanted to know whether teachers felt that the Imbewu experience directly influenced pupil choices in the weeks and months after the trail. The choices we were interested in were Curriculum Courses, Volunteering, Work Experience and Further Education. School staff were asked to indicate those that they felt applied to any of their pupils.

Results

As a direct result of their Imbewu Scotland experience pupils made the following choices:

34%

Curriculum choices based on Imbewu

51% Volunteering

Work Experience

FE courses based in Imbewu

16%

11%

42 (51%) made curriculum course choices based on their Imbewu experience

9 (11%) took part in volunteering linked to rural employment

13 (16%) took part in work experience linked to rural employment

28 (34%) made further education course choices based on their Imbewu experience

Responses were from 16 of the 17 schools that have taken part totalling 82 young people. 5

In terms of changes in habit, feeling and awareness we have achieved good increases against the following measures (as reported by respondents):

Measure 2013 2014 Increased connection to nature 50% 44% Understand the Scottish 100% 92% Outdoor Code Increased ability to Recognise 50% 81% Wildlife Understanding of how to 83% 86% protect wildlife Developed good camp craft and 67% 76% outdoors skills

Examples of feedback (See also Case Studies)

"Great experience and they loved it. They learnt lots of new things and had learnt how to ‘Leave No Trace’ in the wilderness. Would definitely recommend others to go.” (Dr. Charlie Hunter, Rector, Kemnay Academy & Chair, Aberdeenshire Secondary Head Teachers’ Association)

"Pupils have found their wilderness week to be a fantastic experience: inspiring, challenging, fulfilling and a telling reminder that time out from technology can be a fine thing indeed." (Paul Cruickshank, Acting Depute Rector, Mearns Academy)

“All 8 pupils who attended Imbewu Trails from Crieff High School (2014) returned enthusing about their experiences... I have also received very positive verbal feedback from a number of parents, one of who told me that their S2 son had so enjoyed it that he is now wanting to work in the outdoor environment. Seeing the 5 younger pupils who have now progressed into S3, they are still keen and motivated by their experiences and a number have signed up for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme recently. Mikey Coull is actively seeking to study a course at SAC – possibly agriculture.” (Rachel Gallacher, Outdoor Learning, Crieff High School)

“Rohini and Finn spoke about their experiences yesterday at prize giving. They have clearly learned a lot about themselves and it was lovely to have them share that in front of staff, pupils and parents. Thanks again for giving them the opportunity. It has been great and our pupils have had wonderful opportunities to further develop key life skills.” (Elaine Liney, Principal Teacher, Pitlochry High School)

“Thomas loved the project and only had positives things to say about being on it. Thomas is talking more about further education and courses he would like to go on. His behaviour in school has improved and so has his attendance.” (Sean Murray, Teacher of Pupil Support, Buckhaven High School)

"A very good week was had by all at Glenkindie, everyone got something from the time spent on the estate; hopefully they will take good memories away from the Glen.” (John Dent, Glenkindie Head Gardener)

"It took my breath away." (Imbewu Scotland Participant)

"It makes you realise just how fabulous the outdoors really is." (Imbewu Scotland Participant)

"It stimulates your brain and makes you think…also your physical stamina...I never would have believed I could have achieved what I did." (Imbewu Scotland Participant)

“After doing this course nature now means everything to me. I find it very therapeutic as it helps my mind become clear of any worries, while being in a town these worries just keep constantly building up.” (Imbewu Scotland Participant)

“I want to incorporate the ‘Leave No Trace Principles’ into everyday life and in work attempt to find ways to do things that are less damaging to the environment.” (Imbewu Scotland Participant)

“I want to help conserve the environment as it’s such an amazing place to be and would like to give others the chance to experience it too.” (Imbewu Scotland Participant)

“Juno had a wonderful time. Thank you so much. It was a big step for her. She is telling us stories about your adventures and this in itself is unusual… I can see that the tender and inspiring care of you, your team and John Muir has taken Juno to new places.” (Parent)

Next Steps

Follow-up leadership development training is available to graduates of the course and these sessions will be delivered at their respective schools during 2015.

Report completed: 19.12.2015

Case Study – Sean Campbell

Sean Campbell took part in the Imbewu Scotland Pilot Project in 2014.

Sean is 17 years old and attends Hollybrook Academy in Glasgow, a school for pupils with additional learning needs. Sean is dyslexic and has worked very hard, following a tailored reading programme, to overcome this and his reading ability has improved greatly as a result. He is a Special Olympian and has represented the West of Scotland at tennis in the British National Championships. Sean has always wanted to work in the outdoors but has experienced disadvantage of opportunity in the past.

Imbewu Scotland was introduced to Hollybrook Academy by The Prince’s Trust. Sean is a member of a Prince’s Trust xl club in school; Prince's Trust xl clubs provide a personal development programme for young people aged 13 – 19. These informal clubs support young people in developing the skills and confidence needed to progress into a positive future. After hearing about the ethos and aims of Imbewu, Sean’s teacher, Irene McNally identified Sean as a potential candidate for the project. Sean submitted a written application and attended an interview before being offered a place on an Imbewu Scotland Wilderness Trail. He took part in the week-long trail at the Douglas Estate, North Lanarkshire in September 2014 along with 5 boys from schools in Fife.

During the trail Sean learned about a range of employment opportunities in rural areas. The wilderness experience was an important component of the trail which included a 3-day wild camping expedition led by professional guides from Wilderness Scotland; the group explored some of the more remote locations on the estate, learning about wildlife and land use on the way. During the remainder of the week, the participants worked with estate staff and local volunteers taking part in conservation tasks and learning a variety of rural skills. The group made bird boxes with the team at LEAF (Local Environmental Action Force) and erected them in the woods around Douglas. Opportunities for reflection and sharing occurred throughout the trail culminating in a presentation, attended by Lord Home, in which the group shared their experiences of the week. Sean received a John Muir Discovery Award and Leave No Trace certification in recognition of his achievements. Sean impressed everyone he met during the Imbewu trail, including the Estate Manager, Ian Fleming. As a result he was given the opportunity to take part in work experience with the gamekeeping team at Douglas.

Sean joined the team for a week at the end of September 2014 living and working on the estate. During the week, Sean continued to impress with his interest and enthusiasm for gamekeeping and received a beater’s packet for all his hard work.

Following the successful completion of his week’s work experience, Sean has applied for his provisional driving license and is considering applying for a place at the University of the Highlands and Islands to study Gamekeeping. Sean has accepted an invitation by Douglas & Angus Estates to return for a further placement on the Hirsel Estate in 2015.

“I took Sean Campbell back to the Douglas Estate this morning for a week’s work experience. He was as happy as a pig in MUD.” (Steven Lawrie, Deputy Head Teacher, Hollybrook Academy)

Henry Birch, Douglas & Angus Estates Factor said: Whilst he (Sean) had no access to, or firsthand experience of game keeping he had a latent interest in it as a possible career. During his Imbewu week at Douglas this interest was fuelled to the extent that his general enthusiasm for keepering was apparent to all involved with the trip and resulted in him being offered a week’s work experience at Douglas during the October half-term.

During the week Sean spent time with all three of the Douglas keepers and was involved in 3 days shooting as a beater – all of which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy. Ian Fleming, the Douglas Estate Manager, who mentored him during the week, was so impressed by both his attitude and enthusiasm that we are hoping Sean will now spend a week with Craig Birkett, the Game Keeper at the Hirsel, over the Easter Holidays so he can experience keepering in both a different area and season of the year.

We hope that Sean’s participation in the Imbewu Project at Douglas will help to unlock the door to a successful career in the countryside and we will watch his progress with great interest.

Steven Lawrie at Hollybrook Academy said: “Sean said, from day one at Hollybrook, that he’d like to be a gamekeeper when he leaves school. I never thought that there was anything that we could do to facilitate this for a boy from a Glasgow scheme who attends an Additional Learning Needs School. Through your Foundation and the kindness of the people at Douglas & Angus Estates, Sean got a full week experiencing his dream job. We all found out that it was a job that he was really interested in and suitable for.”

Case Study – Robyn Watt

Robyn Watt took part in the Imbewu Scotland Pilot Project in 2014.

Robyn is 15 years old and attends The Gordon Schools in Huntly, Aberdeenshire. Robyn has always been interested in wildlife and enjoys being outdoors.

Robyn became interested in taking part in a wilderness trail after hearing about Imbewu at a presentation given by the Education Officer at a school assembly. Robyn’s Deputy Headteacher, Mary Anderson agreed that Robyn was a perfect match for the project. Robyn submitted a written application in which she told us about her interests and attended an interview before being offered a place on an Imbewu Scotland Wilderness Trail. She took part in the week-long trail at Glen Tanar Estate in April 2014 along with 13 other pupils from schools in rural Aberdeenshire.

During the trail Robyn learned about a range of employment opportunities in rural areas. The wilderness experience was an important component of the trail which included a 3-day wild camping expedition led by professional guides from Wilderness Scotland; the group explored some of the more remote locations on the estate, learning about wildlife and land use on the way.

“At Imbewu, Robyn discovered a

love of the outdoors, especially mountain climbing. Since then she has climbed 9 more Munros.”

(Aline Watt, parent)

A particular highlight of the week was the ascent of Mount Keen the most easterly of the Munros (Scotland's 3000ft-plus peaks). The approach took the group through the magnificent pinewoods of Glen Tanar, a

National Nature Reserve, where it is possible to see rare wildlife such as the Scottish cross-bill, the red squirrel, the spectacular capercaillie or the crested tit. The summit of Mount Keen is marked by a trig point sitting on a rocky outcrop where the summiteers took the

weight off their feet before descending through the low cloud back to base camp. The next morning they listened to snipe drumming as they lay in their tents before walking back down the glen to find out how the Estate is helping increase numbers of the iconic

capercaillie

During the remainder of the week, the participants worked with estate staff and local volunteers taking part in conservation tasks and learning a variety of rural skills. Estate ranger Mike took the group to look for field signs of otter. They soon came upon some fresh otter tracks and spraint and an otter slide. Opposite the slide, an obvious trail could be seen disappearing into the woods. The group’s tracking skills were later put to the test when they were asked to locate a badger sett in the woods. To meet the John Muir Award Conserve Challenge the group also spent a day resurfacing a footpath on The MacRobert Trust Estate, assisted by volunteers from Edinburgh firm Nucleus Financial.

Simon Power, factor of the estate said: “I am extremely grateful to you, your team and all the young people who worked on the footpath repair project on the Trust’s estate. We thought we had provided them with a big task that they would be unlikely to finish. However, they exceeded our expectations and have done a fantastic job that has already been commented on very favourably by users of the path.”

Opportunities for reflection and sharing occurred throughout the trail culminating in a presentation, attended by Estate owner Michael Bruce, in which the group shared their experiences of the week. Robyn received a John Muir Discovery Award and Leave No Trace certification in recognition of her achievements.

Following the trail Robyn requested to do biology fieldwork for work experience and her Imbewu experience is also uppermost in her mind as she considers her future further education choices

“Imbewu was a really great experience. It really changed my opinion on the outdoor adventure industry and made me think about taking up a career in the outdoors. Although Imbewu was fun, it was also educational and I learned about the Scottish wildlife and what it takes to have a job in the outdoors.” (Robyn Watt, The Gordon Schools)

Case Study – Fergus McLennan

Fergus took part in the Imbewu Scotland Pilot Project in 2014.

Fergus is 13 years old and attends Crieff High School in Perthshire. Fergus is an enthusiastic and well-motivated pupil who has not had as much exposure to the outdoors in recent years as he would have liked. He is a high achiever who often needs reassurance that he is on the right track. He is confident in known surroundings with a close group of friends but he is also quite sensitive and his confidence can be easily knocked.

Fergus became interested in taking part in a wilderness trail after hearing about Imbewu at an assembly presentation. Fergus’s Outdoor Learning teacher, Rachel Gallacher encouraged Fergus to apply. Fergus submitted a written application in which he told us about his interests then attended an interview with Imbewu Scotland staff before being offered a place on a Wilderness Trail.

He took part in the last trail at Atholl in October 2014 along with 8 other pupils from schools across rural Perthshire.

On arrival the group were given an introduction to the estate by factor, Andrew Bruce Wootton and Atholl Estates ranger Liz Hall. During the trail Fergus learned about a range of employment opportunities in rural areas. The wilderness experience was an important component of the trail which included a 3-day wild camping expedition led by professional guides from Wilderness Scotland; the group explored some of the more remote locations on the estate, learning about wildlife and land use on the way. A particular highlight of the week was listening to the red deer rut from our base at Dal Cottage.

During the remainder of the week, the participants worked with estate staff taking part in conservation tasks and learning a variety of rural skills. Under the guidance of head ranger Polly Freeman, the group marked deer fences to stop birds – including black grouse and capercaillie – from flying into the wires. This involved lashing lengths of bamboo diagonally to the upper sections of deer fencing using cable ties to make the wires obvious to the high-risk, “Fergus returned excited, low-flying birds. enthusiastic and enthralled – he has made wonderful friendships and life long memories.”

(Tracey Robbie, parent)

Opportunities for reflection and sharing occurred throughout the trail culminating in a presentation, attended by Atholl Estates Ranger Service, in which the group shared their experiences of the week. Fergus received a John Muir Discovery Award and Leave No Trace certification in recognition of his achievements.

“What I took away from the Imbewu Trail was that I learned that there is a whole new world just waiting to be explored on my own back door. I have made new friends, I have learned about wildlife and camping, I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I am in the near future going to make more of an effort to go outside, hillwalking or camping. I have now joined up to do the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.” (Fergus McLennan (centre), Crieff High School)

Case Study – Jaden Cooney

Jaden took part in the Imbewu Scotland Pilot Project in 2014.

Jaden is 14 years old and attends Pitlochry High School in Perthshire. Jaden was in S2 when he applied to take part in the Imbewu programme after hearing about it at a school assembly. Along with fellow pupils at Pitlochry, he went through a particularly rigorous selection process attending an initial interview in school and a second interview with Imbewu Scotland staff before being offered a place on a Wilderness Trail!

He approached the initial interview with confidence, he was well prepared and spoke fluently about his hobbies and interests and what he hoped to gain from the whole experience. We learned that he enjoys the outdoors and is able to access a range of activities, such as kayaking, camping and mountain biking with his Dad, but was keen to become more independent in his approach to outdoor activities and education. He is self-motivated, able to set and attain personal goals and has a quiet self-confidence. Imbewu offered the chance to further develop his skills: both practical and leadership. It was also an opportunity to work with an entirely new group of people who were from out with his small rural school. Jaden wanted to immerse himself in the opportunity, including willingly giving up his mobile phone!

Jaden (centre) took part in the week-long trail at Atholl in early September 2014 along with 9 other pupils from schools across rural Perthshire. During the trail Jaden learned about a range of employment opportunities in rural areas. The wilderness experience was an important component of the trail which included a 3-day wild camping expedition led by professional guides from Wilderness Scotland; the group explored some of the more remote locations on the estate, learning about wildlife and land use on the way. A particular highlight of the week was the all- day trek from our base camp at Loch Oisinneach Mor (led by guides Tim Willis and Erin Bastian) which took us south to Loch Ordie and back across the high tops helping to meet the Explore challenge of the John Muir Award. We continued our exploration by playing ‘sardines’ in the heathery slopes around the camp the following morning. The week’s adventures were captured on film by Catherine Baxter, a pupil from Breadalbane Academy.

“Jaden… really enjoyed his week and got a better understanding of the conservation work involved and how important it is. As he is striving for his John Muir awards I think it was a fantastic opportunity for him…and something I'm sure he will remember with good life skills learnt.” (Kerrie-Jane Cooney, Parent)

During the remainder of the week, the participants worked with estate staff and local volunteers taking part in conservation tasks and learning a variety of rural skills. Under the guidance of head ranger Polly Freeman, the group marked deer fences to stop birds – including black grouse and capercaillie – from flying into the wires. This involved lashing lengths of bamboo diagonally to the upper sections of deer fencing using cable ties to make the wires obvious to the high-risk, low-flying birds. The group were joined by a journalist and photographer who were researching an article about Imbewu for the Shooting Times magazine (November 2014).

Opportunities for reflection and sharing occurred throughout the trail culminating in a presentation, attended by the Atholl Estates Ranger Service, in which the group shared their experiences of the week. Jaden received a John Muir Discovery Award and Leave No Trace certification in recognition of his achievements.

Jaden has recently embarked on the Cairngorms National Park Junior Ranger Programme which involved a further week’s land based activities. Working with local ranger services, Jaden and fellow pupils have learned about bio-diversity and the outdoor access code and have developed vital skills in visitor management. He is now “I have learnt many new skills about working towards the Conserver Level of the John Muir Award the outdoors and made several new which involves a further 15 days of volunteering with the friends during the Imbewu trail. As a rangers. He will also be sharing his new knowledge and skills result of the week long programme, I within the school community. am now volunteering at the weekends working with the local Ranger

services on a number of environmental projects. I am regularly mountain biking in my local area and am looking towards competing in Enduro racing next year. I would really recommend the Imbewu programme to all pupils.”

(Jaden Cooney) 15

Scottish Natural Heritage

The delivery of the Imbewu Scotland Pilot has supported the following Scottish Natural Heritage priorities:

1. More people engaging with nature and landscapes

This was achieved through experiential learning in nature and transferal of knowledge from people who live on the land.

2. Improved management of nature and estates

Imbewu encourages estates to implement best practice of good environmental management, increases appreciation of the landscape and the enduring benefits this brings to society and biodiversity.

Performance against Approved Activities and Output Targets – Scottish Natural Heritage

Project Activity SNH Output Total Target Total Variance Measure Achieved Presentations to schools No. of people 330 1,372 +315% in the target area, involved leading to selection for application/referrals for the project Undertake pilot project Number of 96 85 (103 places -11% (+7%) trails over two years. All people offered) participants to achieve involved Leave No Trace accreditation and John Muir Award Training of rural estate Number of 16 16 - staff in communications people and project delivery involved Pathways to be built for Number of 96 1102 +14.5% further education and people employment through a involved variety of partners

A promotional video was produced to support awareness of the opportunities that Imbewu Scotland provides and this was made available through our website, YouTube and other channels. Photos, video and documentary material were collected throughout the two years and a “heritage” video and publication will be produced by the end of December 2014. One of our Imbewu participants, Catherine Baxter, a pupil at Breadalbane Academy, also produced a movie of one of the trails at Atholl Estates.

2 Volunteering, work experience, curriculum choices, further education, Pathways to Progress Handbook, social media. For further detail see Appendix 5. 16

The Future of Imbewu Scotland

We are satisfied that there is sufficient demonstrable need and that the pilots have produced sufficiently robust outcomes for the project to be extended beyond the pilot phase. The Foundation is currently engaged in fundraising for a further two years of delivery.

All schools that participated in the pilot programme have already registered their interest in any further opportunities that would be available to their students. Additionally, a number of schools who requested presentations in 2013 and 2014 but did not supply any candidates have asked to submit students in the future.

In February 2014 the Wilderness Foundation UK was approached by Dr. Charlie Hunter, President of the Aberdeenshire Secondary Headteachers’ Association (ASHTA). ASHTA have asked for Imbewu Scotland to become part of Aberdeenshire Council’s ‘Skills for Life, Skills for Work’ programme in session 2014 - 2015. The programme, which is open to all secondary school pupils in Aberdeenshire, will run each year and is a huge step forward in ensuring the sustainability of the programme and testament to the impact Imbewu has had in Aberdeenshire.

All host estates have confirmed that they would like to host trails in 2015; as accredited training has already been delivered to them, they are well prepared to help again. All of the estates provided accommodation and in some cases meals as a benefit to the project. They also made a contribution in kind by providing their staff who gave their time to help deliver aspects of the week’s trail including the introduction and presentation ceremony, as well as the conservation element of The John Muir Award.

Appendix 1

Imbewu Pilot Project Participants

Date of Trail & Host Estate Participating Schools Total No. Participants

16/06/2013 Mar Lodge Estate Kemnay Academy, Aberdeenshire 5 (3 boys, 2 girls)

Meldrum Academy, Aberdeenshire

09/09/2013 Atholl Estates Kinross High School, Perth & 5 (4 boys, 1 girl) Kinross

Perth Grammar, Perth & Kinross

30/09/2013 Atholl Estates Breadalbane Academy, Perth & 6 (5 boys, 1 girl) Kinross

Kinross High School, Perth & Kinross

Perth Grammar, Perth & Kinross

28/04/2014 Glen Tanar & MacRobert Trust Estates Alford Academy, Aberdeenshire 14( 4 boys, 10 girls) Mearns Academy, Aberdeenshire

Meldrum Academy, Aberdeenshire

Portlethen Academy, Aberdeenshire

The Gordon Schools, Aberdeenshire

19/05/2014 Atholl Estates Crieff High School, Perth & Kinross 7 (6 boys, 1 girl)

Pitlochry High School, Perth & Kinross

Perth Grammar, Perth & Kinross

02/06/2014 Glenkindie Estate Aboyne Academy, Aberdeenshire 12 (5 boys, 7 girls) Kemnay Academy, Aberdeenshire

Mearns Academy, Aberdeenshire

Meldrum Academy, Aberdeenshire

The Gordon Schools, Aberdeenshire

09/06/2014 Douglas & Angus Estates Crieff High School, Perth & Kinross 11 (7 boys, 4 girls) Kilsyth Academy, North Lanarkshire

Mearns Academy, Aberdeenshire

Perth Grammar, Perth & Kinross

01/09/2014 Atholl Estates Breadalbane Academy, Perth & 10 (5 boys, 5 Kinross girls)

Perth Grammar, Perth & Kinross

Pitlochry High School, Perth & Kinross

15/09/2014 Douglas & Angus Estates Buckhaven High School, Fife 6 boys

Kirkcaldy High School, Fife

Kirkland High School, Fife

Hollybrook Academy, Glasgow

29/09/2014 Atholl Estates Crieff High School, Perth & Kinross 9 (4 boys, 5 girls)

Perth Grammar, Perth & Kinross

Pitlochry High School, Perth & Kinross

Total 85 (49 boys, 36 girls)

Appendix 2 - Example Imbewu Trail Timetable

ATHOLL IMBEWU WEEK – 29th SEPTEMBER TO 5th OCTOBER 2014

Time Activity Outcome Staff MONDAY 29th SEPTEMBER 9.30 – 1.30 Fiona and Will to collect from Perth, Crieff, Aberfeldy and Pitlochry in hired minibus WF 2.00 Tour of Blair Castle policies. Introduction to estate. Discover 3.00 Meet Factor Andrew Bruce Wootton at Blair Castle Collect food delivery from estate office 3.30 Continue to Dal Cottage – settle in 5.00 Introductions, name game, behaviour contract, principles of engagement, expectations 6.00 Free time - unpack 7.00 Supper at Dal 8.00 Completion of entry questionnaires Games/getting to know each other TUESDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 8.15 Breakfast WF Hand out kit & pack for trail 11.00 Wilderness Scotland guides arrive WS/WF 11.00 – 12.30 Preparation for wilderness trail/camping Discover 12.30 -1.30 Lunch at Dal. Depart for wilderness trail/camping WEDNESDAY 1st OCTOBER Wilderness trail/camping Explore WS/WF THURSDAY 2nd OCTOBER 3.00 TBC Return from wilderness trail/camping Explore WS/WF 3.30 Shower/unpack/free time 4.30 Review of wilderness trail and future opportunities 7.00 Supper 8.00 Review of week WF

FRIDAY 3rd OCTOBER 8.15 Breakfast Conserve WF 9.15 Depart for conservation day activities 9.45 Meet Atholl Estates Head Ranger, Polly Freeman for morning activity – deer fence marking 12.30 – 1.30 Lunch 1.30- Afternoon activity – complete deer fence marking 4.00 4.30 Minibus back to Dal Cottage 5.30- 6.30 Down time 7.00 Supper and review of week SATURDAY 4th OCTOBER 8.30 Breakfast. Share WF 9.30- Start work on presentation for Share challenge on Sunday 12.30 1.00-2.00 Lunch 2.00 – 2.30 Completion of exit questionnaires 3.00 – 5.00 Walk to Falls of Bruar. Ice-cream. 5.00 Complete presentation

7.00 Supper & pack SUNDAY 5th OCTOBER 8.15 Breakfast Share WF 8.45 Pack and tidy up rooms 10.00 Minibus shuttle to visitor centre 10.30 Presentation and thanks to Atholl Estates. Presentation of certificates. 11.15 Minibus to drop off at Pitlochry, Aberfeldy, Crieff and Perth.

WF – Wilderness Foundation WS – Wilderness Scotland

Appendix 3 IMBEWU PILOT – TIMETABLE OF ACTIVITIES

Day 1 Arrival and Introductions

 Getting to know each other – name games  Behaviour contract. Principles of engagement and expectations agreed with young people.  Introduction to the estate – guided tour by estate staff e.g. factor, ranger, estate manager.  Monitoring & evaluation entry questionnaires

Day 2 – 4 Wilderness trail

 Leave No Trace training. The seven principles are: Plan Ahead and Prepare; Travel and Camp on Durable Ground; Dispose of Waste Properly; Leave It As You Find It; Minimise the Effects of Fire; Respect Farm Animals & Wildlife; Be Considerate of Others.  John Muir Discovery Award – Four challenges i.e. Discover, Explore, Conserve & Share  Solo time – Opportunities for personal reflection and exploration.  Camp craft e.g. erecting tents & tipi, cooking, washing, waste disposal, fire building & lighting  Nature based activities e.g. mammal tracking, mini national parks, vegetation compass, nature’s palette, making string using rushes  Team building challenges  Rural jobs e.g. adventure tourism, ranger work, conservation, gamekeeping  Other activities e.g. star gazing & astronomy, photography & video-making, yoga, outdoor games e.g. sardines  Personal journals & John Muir Award Record Books  Sharing – discussion, feedback, story telling

Day 5 Conservation activities

Examples of work undertaken 2013 – 2014:

 Building brash fences  Path maintenance including drain clearing  Footpath creation  Bridge building  Building and installing bird boxes  Rhododendron and bracken bashing  Deer fence marking

Day 6 Preparation for sharing presentation

 Review of week – using journals  Review of Leave No Trace – group activity  Who was John Muir? Is his message still important today?  Personal shields and mottos – art. Something I have learned; best bit; biggest challenge; something I will do differently  Scottish Outdoor Access Code  Rural employment; volunteering; work experience and further education opportunities

 How to meet the Share Challenge of the John Muir Award. Why share experiences of wild places? Ideas for Sharing.  Planning, preparation and rehearsal for Share Challenge – group activity  Monitoring & evaluation exit questionnaires

Day 7 Sharing presentation and depart

 John Muir Discovery Award Share Challenge - presentation and thanks to estate staff  Presentation of certificates by estate owner/representative

Appendix 4

Combined Analysis for Phase one and two of the Imbewu Project

Executive summary There is an increasing body of evidence to indicate that exposure to natural environments, including open countryside, fields, urban parks and remote wilderness; can produce physical and mental health benefits. Wilderness Therapy programmes, defined as “experiential programmes that take place in wilderness or remote outdoor settings”, are commonly used in adolescents experiencing behavioural problems and/or social disadvantage. These programmes offer a range of personal development and well-being opportunities by immersing the young people in nature-based activities in order to generate health, social and educational benefits [5].

The Imbewu project is a six-day programme for young people aged 14-16 years in areas of high youth unemployment and who display an interest in the environment. The project provides nature- based experiences that focus on personal development and offer leadership and skill-based learning opportunities within wild, rural areas of Scotland. The six-day programme includes a three-day wilderness trail during which participants explore the area, camp in remote bothies and share knowledge and stories of the work and landscape. For the remaining three days participants spend time on the rural estates volunteering and learning about rural heritage, conservation and sustainable land management. Participants also receive ‘Leave No Trace’ accredited training, which educates them about their impact on wilderness and how to minimise it.

The key objectives of Imbewu project for participants are: Figure 1: Self-esteem score at the  To participate in the nature-based project for six days; start and end of the Imbewu project  To develop a deep and meaningful connection to nature and the rural parts of Scotland

 To understand the opportunities for work in the rural sector on estates Series1,  To benefit from personal and social development End of Series1, project, esteem Score esteem Start of - 30.8

Overall the project aims to raise awareness of the project, Self environmental, economic and social benefits delivered by 29.7 the rural areas through activities and engagement with staff; and to increase understanding of ecological issues and sustainable land management.

Eighty one young people took part the project between April and October in both 2013 and 2014. The average age of participants was 14.9±0.8 years, with 56% of participants being male and 44% of participants being female. All participants completed questionnaires at the start and end of the 6-

day project to assess changes in their self-esteem, connectedness to nature, resilience, hope and mood.

Over the course of the project participants’ scores on all measures improved. For self-esteem the overall score improved by 4% with 58% of participants experiencing an improvement (Figure 1).

There was also a 5% improvement in participants hope scores, with 63% of participants feeling more hopeful that they can achieve their goals by the end of their participation in the programme. Resilience to stress also improved by 3%, and 57% of participants felt that were more resilient to stressful life events. Participants also felt more connected to nature by the end of the project. There was a 2% increase in the connection to nature score with 45% of participants feeling more connected to their natural surroundings.

Participants overall mood score was also enhanced (Figure 2). Sixty two percent of participants felt that they were in a better mood after participating in the project, with the overall mood score improving by 3%. All of the mood sub-scale scores improved, with participants feeling less tense, depressed, angry, fatigued and confused and more active. The improvements in these scores ranged from 1-10%, with tension scores improving to the greatest degree.

In addition to experiencing improvements in self- Figure 2: Total mood disturbance scores at the start and end of the esteem, mood, hope, resilience and nature Imbewu project connectedness; participants also reported that they

had developed skills as a result of participating in the programme. Seventy nine percent of participants felt that they had developed the ‘ability to recognise Series1, wildlife’; 86% an understanding of how to protect Start of Series1, wildlife and 75% felt that they had developed Project, End of communication/teamwork skills and practical skills 198.8 Project, such as cooking and map reading. Sixty percent of 189.9

Total mood disturbance score disturbance mood Total participants also said that they had gained rural skills such as bush craft and firelighting. The project also taught participants about the Scottish Outdoor Access code and how to act and behave responsibly in nature. Only 30% of participants were aware of this code at the start of the project, increasing to 93% at the end of the project. In addition participants reported that the project allowed them to learn from people of another generation. Participants learned “how to preserve natural spaces” and that there are “lots of different jobs to do on the estate”. Participants enjoyed the opportunities for “getting to know people” and “spending time in the wilderness”.

Overall, the Imbewu Project provided a number of health benefits for participants, including improvements in self-esteem, mood, hope and resilience. Participation in Imbewu also enabled the young people to take part in intergenerational learning and to develop a range of skills including the ability to recognise and protect wildlife, teamwork and communication skills. These findings indicate that the Imbewu project is likely to be a successful tool for improving the health and well-being of young people and enabling them to develop skills and opportunities for contact with nature; all of

which will help to reduce youth unemployment and costs to society due to mental ill health and anti- social behaviour.

Written by: Dr Carly Wood, Research Officer, School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO43SQ. For further information please contact Mike Rogerson E: [email protected]

Appendix 5 Post-Trail Pathways Support

Imbewu Scotland is a personal development and leadership programme which allows secondary school pupils (Years 3 to 5) to learn about opportunities for rural work; increase their enjoyment of the outdoors and develop their understanding of Scottish natural heritage.

The programme supports experiential learning and contributes to the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence through outdoor learning approaches and cross-curricular themes. It offers young people certificated wider achievement out with the formal curriculum and an opportunity to develop their employability skills.

Following completion of their Imbewu trail, young people are supported in accessing work experience, volunteering, employment or further education. Pathways and support are provided as follows:

 Young people are asked to note their interest in further opportunities at the end of each trail with the Education Officer. The Education Officer then follows up requests with schools as appropriate.  Information on further education courses is handed out to all interested participants at the end of each trail e.g. University of the Highlands and Islands courses in Outdoor Adventure, Adventure Tourism, Crofting & Countryside Skills and Gamekeeping.  A comprehensive Pathways to Progress Handbook is provided for each young person detailing how and where to get further help.  Support is provided in school by teachers and other key staff to access local volunteering and work experience opportunities e.g. Pitlochry High School Junior Ranger Service, Kellockbank Garden Centre, Duke of Edinburgh Groups including Crieff High School, Prince’s Trust xl clubs including Kircaldy, Kirkland and Buckhaven High Schools in Fife.  Support is provided by estates through the provision of volunteering and work placement opportunities e.g. Atholl Estates Junior Ranger Service; Douglas Estate and Glenkindie Estate.  Placement opportunities are found with other NGOs e.g. Drystane Walling Association.  Imbewu alumni are contacted via their schools 6 months and 12 months post-trail. Further support is provided as appropriate by the Education Officer.  A closed Facebook page has been created for Imbewu Scotland alumni as well as a public page; both interfaces allow continued communication between the Wilderness Foundation and our young people.  A discreet Imbewu Scotland website is under development; this in addition to our existing pages and blog on the Wilderness Foundation UK site.

We will remain in contact with our alumni for up to 3 years post-trail prior to them leaving school.

Pathways built for further education and employment

 92 choices made as a direct result of their Imbewu Scotland experience

 1 Pathways to Progress Handbook

 5 further education courses (University of the Highlands & Islands; Douglas and Angus College)

 3 opportunities for work experience on estates (Douglas & Angus, Glenkindie, MacRobert Trust)

 5 award schemes (Duke of Edinburgh, John Muir Trust)

 2 volunteering opportunities (Atholl Junior Ranger Service, Drystane Walling Association)

 3 social media (website, Facebook page, Twitter)

 1 partnership with a national agency (Youthlink Scotland)

Appendix 6

Motivation – Why Wilderness?

The Wilderness Foundation has researched the social benefits (self-esteem, mood, hopefulness & behaviour changes, peace building, leadership development) related to a connection to nature for over five years. We have published several reports with The University of Essex on self-esteem and connections to nature in vulnerable youth and young leaders, and delivered a variety of conference papers on the effects of wilderness on peace building with veterans of the Irish troubles.

Much of our work is driven by research across the world evidencing the effects of nature deficit disorder (Richard Louv/EO Wilson, The Biophilia Hypothesis) and increasing disconnections from the natural world in adults and children. Research by Natural England shows a negative change in behaviour across generations in their access, appreciation and enjoyment of the outdoors.

Our experience, supported by the evidence collected, is that to grow appreciation of and a desire to protect the natural world, we must create chances for people to experience these places and this must matter enough to pass their interest onto their children.

Why Imbewu Scotland?

It is our aim to make a difference to Scotland’s nature and landscapes by raising awareness of particular land designations, such as Wild Land, that carry natural habitat attributes, are remote and have little human development such as roads/ buildings. These are areas that have land management in place, but have a sense of the wild and open spaces.

Through the Imbewu Scotland journey, young people will develop an understanding of these parts of Scotland, the history of the land, the species and biodiversity of different ecosystems, and the benefits of spending time in these places to their own wellbeing.

By engaging with the rural communities who work on estates but often live in surrounding villages, we are working to bridge the common divide between city youth and more traditional rural dwellers, some of whom who have lived in rural communities for generations. Through sharing of their knowledge and wisdom of rural habitats and lifestyles with urban visitors, a newly rekindled pride in the rural community will be encouraged.

There will be an employment outcome and a sense of pride in rural skills will develop.

Appendix 7

Imbewu Scotland at The Royal Highland Show 2014

The Wilderness Foundation UK took part in the Royal Highland Education Trust’s Children’s Discovery Centre at this year’s Royal Highland Show. The Centre gives children the opportunity to take part in new activities and learn more about food, farming and the countryside.

Over the 4 days we achieved the following:

 275 primary school children took part in our ‘Leave No Trace’ Team Challenge  3 secondary school groups took part (90 pupils)  200 Leave No Trace Awareness certificates were handed out  Interest from ‘Our Dynamic Earth’ in developing partnership opportunities  Several notes of interest from teachers and schools not previously involved in Imbewu, including schools in Edinburgh and Glasgow  1 youth conservation group in Fife interested in receiving ‘Leave No Trace’ training  1 offer to provide bus transport for schools from South Ayrshire taking part in Imbewu in the future  Personal visit from the Vice-President of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland

In addition, figures from this year’s show were as follows:

 178,659 people attended the Royal Highland Show 2014  Over 27,000 children came to the Show over the 4 days  6294 pupils booked their visit via RHET over the Thursday and Friday  Nearly 1000 teachers/adult helpers accompanied the pupils  263 school parties attended the show with RHET  They came from 170 different schools from across Scotland

Our attendance at ‘RHS 2014’ was a great success and provided an important platform on which to build new contacts with teachers and schools in the Central Belt and raise our profile at a national level. We are already making plans for ‘RHS 2015’ building on the achievements of this year and involving our Imbewu alumni in delivering our activity.