Darwins of the future...

This August, FSC Preston Montford welcomed a new cohort of fifteen Young Darwin Scholars (YDS) to the centre - its seventh since the scholarship began in 2012. The scholars had all successfully applied for the scholarship, which aims to bring together young people aged 16 and 17 who have a keen interest in the natural world, encouraging and supporting them to hopefully develop into the next generation of ‘Darwins’.

Charles Darwin was born on the 12^th February 1809 at The Mount in Shrewsbury, approximately 3.5 miles from FSC Preston Montford and was, amongst other things, a scientist, geologist, explorer and naturalist. These aspects of Darwin’s character were woven into the introductory YDS course and here’s what a few of our Young Darwins’ thoughts of the experience:

Tallulah

I first found out about the Young Darwin Scholarship when looking online for courses to do with the environment and wildlife. I wanted to expand my interests and gain new experiences.

I’ve learnt lots of new skills on this residential, from setting up Longworth traps to canoeing, and finding out about different species. The first full day we visited Snailbeach Mine to explore the area and learn about the work people did there, before heading off to the Stiperstones to learn a bit about its geology and to explore the landscape. Another morning, we went to investigate if we had caught any mammals in our Longworth traps - seeing my first wood mouse and bank vole was really interesting and exciting. We also learned how to track mammals, like badgers and foxes, and looked around a local badger sett.

Overall this scholarship has been a really positive experience – I’ve been able to meet lots of new people and learn lots of new skills.

Admiring a wood mouse that the YDS' caught using a Longworth trap.

Learning about mammal signs and tracks.

Amber

I particularly enjoyed my experience as a Young Darwin Scholar due to the fact that I am local to the area. I found it interesting to see and understand my own native area in a more in-depth view and to recognise things in the natural world around me that I wouldn’t have without having had this experience.

It was fascinating to hear from such a range of experts, from moths to plants, bees to spiders, and all in-between. One of my favourite activities was walking through the disused lead mine; I wasn’t expecting it to be that exciting, but actually being in the huge caverns and seeing just what the miners had to experience was eye-opening, as was the geology of the area. My main interest in the natural world is plants, and the activity discovering as many wildflower species onsite was very captivating for me. It introduced me to many species that I have always seen around but can now identify. Moth trapping was also an unexpected interest as I was able to see moths up close that I would never normally see.

I would recommend that if you’re passionate about the natural world to apply for this course, as it can both introduce you to new aspects of nature you’ve never focused on, as well as expand your knowledge and understanding of the things you’re personally interested in.

We're going in...to Snailbeach lead mine.

Exploring the geology and the landscape of the Stiperstones.

Abby
When I applied for the Young Darwin Scholarship, I knew that I would be in for a great few days doing what I loved most - being at one with nature and learning new things. Yet in these few days, I experienced more than just that - from canoeing in Welshpool, where we looked at many invertebrates, to exploring some local lead mines. Not only did I enjoy myself greatly, but I also gained some highly valuable skills such as how to do biological recordings, and how to work well in a team. In addition, I feel that this trip has helped to boost my confidence, since I met lots of new people who I bonded really well with. I would hate for anyone to miss out on such an opportunity to make great friends with like-minded people. Additionally, this scholarship lead me to be even more interested in wildlife, since I found out so much from amazing experts working here at FSC, who I feel so lucky to have met. Overall, this was a fantastic few days that I will never forget, and I can’t wait to re-join this group in the future at reunions, ready to explore my passion even more.

Identifying freshwater invertebrates.

Canoeing at Welshpool.

Looking for Hymenoptera with an FSC expert.

For the FSC Preston Montford staff, it was really rewarding to see these young people grow in confidence during the course of the five day residential. We are glad that they have forged new friendships and have some fabulous memories that will hopefully spur them on to continue to develop their passions in the natural world.

To find out more about the Young Darwin Scholarship and how to apply, please use the following link: https://www.field-studies-council.org/about/young-darwin-scholarship.aspx