A leading Shropshire environmental education charity is playing a crucial role in helping young disadvantaged students connect with nature as part of a major £4.5 million project.

The Field Studies Council is one of a number of key organisations helping to deliver the Generation Green 2 project, which by next spring will have enabled more than 41,500 day and overnight nature connection experiences to young people who would otherwise miss out on opportunities to spend time outdoors in beautiful landscapes.

The charity is expecting to have welcomed nearly 4,000 young people to its field centres – including Preston Montford on the outskirts of Shrewsbury – over the course of the initiative after being awarded almost £800,000 of funding.

The charity’s other sites in Suffolk, Cumbria, Lake District, Devon, Exmoor, Surrey and Buckinghamshire will also be used for the project.

Mark Castle, CEO of the Field Studies Council, said: “Through this project, the Field Studies Council is inspiring thousands of young people to access nature for the first time and ignite that vital spark of curiosity in the world around them. 

“Over recent months, we’ve already seen their eyes widen, horizons expand, and possibilities multiply for their future relationship with the natural environment. 

"Our charity is enabling secondary school students and young adults to access personal and professional learning through online and place-based courses about nature.  

“By using our high-quality biodiversity publications and experiencing residentials at our specialist field centres, they are being given the opportunity to immerse themselves in some of nature’s most awe-inspiring locations.

"We’re excited to be providing unique experiences and guided access to nature for the young people most in need of opportunity. For many of us, we take being able to step outside and explore the natural world for granted.  

“Showing these young people that nature can not only provide a lifetime of enjoyment and wellbeing but how it can also offer opportunities for incredible future study and fulfilling careers is a privilege. We are really pleased to be playing a part in their journey of discovery."

Generation Green 2 is the second project to be delivered by the Access Unlimited coalition which, as well as the Field Studies Council, also comprises YHA (England & Wales) as the project lead and partners, The Outward Bound Trust, Scouts, Girlguiding, nine English National Parks, and the National Landscapes Association.

The project is being funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of its ongoing support of access to nature.

It aims to address major inequalities in access to nature by cultivating a wider interest in green spaces among the next generation, fostering lifelong wellbeing benefits among participants and opening protected places to a wider demographic. 

According to research, poorer communities and people from ethnic minorities in the UK have the worst access to green spaces, with 18% of children living in the most deprived areas never spending time in any kind of natural space.  

Almost half of the country’s most socially deprived areas are more than 15 miles by road from a protected landscape (such as a National Park or National Landscape), and opportunities to explore these landscapes are hindered by inadequate transport options.  

Yet an extensive body of research shows that people who are more connected with nature are usually happier and more likely to report feeling their lives are worthwhile.

Experiences provided by the Field Studies Council and other partners as part of the Generation Green 2 project will help young people connect with nature, cultivate a sense of care for the countryside, and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of spending time in the outdoors.

Delivery of the year-long Generation Green 2 project began in spring 2024 and has so far enabled almost 6,000 young people to take part in experiences across England. 

The Field Studies Council is using several of its field study sites which are located either in or near to National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Beauty to deliver its sessions. 

Preston Montford is situated in the heart of Shropshire on the banks of the River Severn. The centre is set in a 12-hectare estate and allows easy access to the Long Mynd and Stiperstones in the Shropshire Hills AONB.

For more information about the Field Studies Council visit https://www.field-studies-council.org/