Overview

The Young Darwin Scholarship is an FSC initiative to encourage and support young people who have a real interest in the natural world – to develop the next generation of ‘Darwins’.

The scholarship starts with a heavily subsidised 5-day residential trip, or series of days, at an FSC location which involves a lot of time outdoors in environmentally engaging locations. During the week or series of days the scholars:

• Practice a wide range of field and identification skills in areas which have been selected for their variety of plants, trees, invertebrates, and other wildlife.
• Gain practical observation, planning, and recording skills through a series of real-life application tasks, including creating mini management plans, using microscopes, and mapping on GIS (*tasks dependent on location)
• Explore a range of landscapes and learn how these areas are managed and conserved, guided by organisations such as the wildlife trusts, and ANOB rangers.
• Meet inspirational speakers and experts from different environmental backgrounds to discuss current environmental issues and projects, offer advice, and answer any questions.
• Build confidence while exploring the outdoors with like-minded people, their own age who share similar interests.

“What amazed me most was the quality of applications. It has opened my eyes to just how many talented and enthusiastic young people are out there, yearning to gain experiences to help them further in their environmental pathways and to meet similar aged people who they can have topical discussions with.”

Dylan Byrne, FSC’s Youth Engagement Officer