Young Roots
Green Aspirations Scotland CIC is a woodlands-based social enterprise which promotes and delivers outdoor learning opportunities for people to experience nature first hand. Woodland Futures focused on sharing rural and traditional heritage skills, including building paths, green woodworking, making charcoal and identifying native and non-native tree species.
The project worked in partnership with the Tullochan Trust which delivers youth work services in West Dunbartonshire to target young people before they leave school. Experts worked alongside participants to give practical demonstrations of rural skills and to raise awareness with the young people of the career opportunities available within the sector. These included Countryside Rangers, conservation professionals and National Park employees.
Young people designed and curated an exhibition about the project which was held at the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Headquarters before moving to Balfron Library, where it was visited by pupils from the local Primary school. Over two-thirds of project participants gained the John Muir Award and participants celebrated their achievements with an event to launch the project video.