Environmental Leadership Courses at Chester Zoo
At Chester Zoo we deliver a range of Environmental Leadership courses to build skills and empower young people to take action for nature.
The courses include practicing and developing a range of transferable skills, planning and delivering your own or group projects or activities for positive change. It’s a great way to develop transferable skills, build your CV, gain experience and confidence taking action for nature and meet likeminded young people.
We deliver Level 3 -‘Leading a project for positive change’ and Level 2- Environmental Leadership courses- The courses were developed by the Leadership Skills Foundation with WWF and RSPB.
Both courses focus on building communication, teamwork, organisational, problem solving and practical conservation skills – building confidence to make positive change.
Book on to the the next course: Level 3 Environmental Leadership course (for 16-25 year olds). Sat 25 April, Sat 23 May, Sat 13 June and Sat 18 July. Book here.
Hear what some of our Level 3 group have been doing to build skills and take action for nature:
Chloe. Project: ‘Exploring growing mosses’
“I want to help to grow people's love and appreciation of the planet. Moss is fascinating and overlooked by so many people. I want to share my love of moss and get others excited about it too.”
Chloe’s project aimed to investigate different methods of growing moss to enable accessible home growing and increase people’s connection to nature and moss. Chloe tested out various growing techniques and shared her work at the Chester Zoo Youth Summit.
Delilah. Project: ‘Planning and delivering a conservation awareness day about bees and butterflies’
“Bees and butterflies are sadly declining due to lots of different pressures such as climate change and human impacts. We have the power to take action to help them in our own gardens by providing food and shelter.”
Delilah’s project aimed to connect zoo visitors to nature and enable them to take action to help UK bees and butterflies in their own green spaces. Delilah shared her work at the Chester Zoo Youth Summit.
Chloe. Project: ‘Empowering young people to take action for UK birds’
“I am a Vet Nurse and passionate about helping wildlife. I want to get young people more interested in nature and encourage them to protect and take action to help wildlife. My local Girl Guides group were working towards the Biodiversity Badge. When I was younger I was a part of this group and so I was keen to collaborate with them and take collective action towards their badges and helping local wildlife.”
Chloe’s project aimed to connect zoo young people to nature and enable them to take action to help UK birds and gain their Biodiversity Badges. Chloe led the group to build 12 bird boxes and make bird feeders to help birds in their own gardens and parks. Chloe shared her work at the Chester Zoo Youth Summit.
Ximena. Project: 'Creating a platform for young people to find volunteering, training and conservation skill development opportunities’
“I want to create a platform that brings everything together in one accessible, youth-friendly space. One that collates and signposts opportunities for volunteering, training, and early-career experience; uses maps, contacts, and real stories/vlogs to make engagement easier and more inspiring; strengthens community connection with nature and ensures opportunities are relevant, up-to-date, and reflect what young people actually want, through continuous feedback.”
As part of the pilot project Ximena has collated these opportunities on the Chester Zoo Youth Network webpage and is continuing to gather feedback via a survey. Click below to help to develop this project!
Lia. Project: ‘Nature and Wellbeing Walks'
Lias’s project aimed to connect people to nature to support their wellbeing through sensory nature walks in her local community. Lia made sensory treasure hunt packs for the walkers and challenged them to take notice to find rainbow colours in nature and explore nature through their senses. Lia's project used the Five Ways to Wellbeing to support people to connect to their local environment and experience it in a new way. The walkers said they felt better after the walks and they also enjoyed spending time together in nature.
"I learned that it wasn't just about the walks, it was about people getting together and having fun for their wellbeing."
We deliver Level 2 Environmental Leadership courses at local schools and colleges. The level 2 course is suitable for young people aged 11-17.
As part of the course young people explore, practice and develop a range of key skills, plan and deliver two activities for positive change.
If you would like the course to be delivered in your school or college in the future, get in touch with us by emailing youthnetwork@chesterzoo.org.
Hear what some of our Level 2 group have been doing to build skills and take action for nature:
Cheshire College group: Podcast
The Cheshire College Leadership group, 11 young people aged 16-18, wanted to focus on developing their communication skills and to share their passions with others. They did this through planning and creating their own nature podcast episodes.
Upton High Leadership group
Ten Upton High students aged 12-17 developed their teamwork, communication, organisational and practical conservation skills through making a mini wildlife area and engaging with zoo visitors about marine conservation and sustainable palm oil.
The completed courses merit credits and UCAS points (L3 only). This event is free to access and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to enable more young people to access nature and development opportunities.
If you have any questions email youthnetwork@chesterzoo.org