FROM the Channel Islands to the Hebrides and from London to Lerwick, almost 7,000 individuals opted to complete the John Muir Award in the last year, following the relaunch of the flagship environmental programme in 2025.
John Muir, who was born in Scotland in 1838 and moved to North America aged 11, believed that time spent in nature was essential not only for the health of the environment, but for a person’s wellbeing.
The UK charity which bears his name, the John Muir Trust, is dedicated to protecting and enhancing wild places all across the UK, including Ben Nevis, Schiehallion and Sandwood Bay and areas across Skye, Knoydart and Assynt.
More recently however, the value to people of putting down their devices has added to the recognised importance of wild spaces.
New research from Professor Ria Ann Dunkley at the University of Glasgow suggests that meaningful connections with nature are built not simply through learning about the environment, but through repeated experiences of exploring and caring for it.
The study references the John Muir Award, arguing that programmes combining outdoor learning, practical conservation and shared experiences can play an important role in helping people develop lasting relationships with the natural world.
Several recent studies in England and the US have also underlined the very real benefits to mental and physical health of engaging with nature, where Wi-Fi access can be discarded as a primary concern.
Through participation in the John Muir Award, this year’s volunteers have dedicated more than 214,000 hours to discovering, exploring and caring for nature, including almost 75,000 hours of practical conservation work – planting native trees, maintaining footpaths, removing invasive species and restoring habitats across the UK.
Those taking part include schools, youth groups, community organisations, as well as health and wellbeing programmes, with participants who might never previously have visited or engaged with wild spaces.
Earlier this year, Scotland passed legislation designed to expand access to residential outdoor education, reflecting growing recognition of the benefits that spending time outdoors can have on young people’s wellbeing, confidence and learning.
This is a trend the charity advocates for across all areas of the UK, both to encourage respect for and ‘ownership’ of wild places and to deliver the full benefit of getting off devices and engaging with the natural world.
Gareth Morgan, Head of Engagement, at the John Muir Trust, said:
“At a time when outdoor learning is receiving increased attention from policymakers, these figures show what can happen when people are given meaningful opportunities to learn in and care for nature.
“Wild places need people who understand, value and stand up for them. The John Muir Award helps create those connections by giving people practical opportunities to discover, explore and care for nature in meaningful ways.
“What we are seeing across the UK is incredibly encouraging; thousands of people taking action for nature, spending time outdoors and developing a stronger sense of responsibility for the places they care about. These experiences help build not only environmental understanding, but confidence, teamwork and lasting connections with the natural world.”
Case study one – Benbecula:
One group who took part in this year’s Award is Sgoil Bhaile A’ Mhanich on the Isle of Benbecula, in the Outer Hebrides.
Pupils and staff used the John Muir Award to support outdoor learning, climate action and conservation work while transforming an overlooked area of school grounds into a thriving, accessible wild space.
As part of their Award, pupils planted native trees, carried out wildlife surveys, explored local history and collected more than 80 bags of litter. When they discovered plans to clear part of their wild area and restrict access to a pond they had come to value, they took action.
The group surveyed pupils, completed risk assessments, designed signage, created films and wrote to decision-makers to make the case for protecting the space. Their campaign succeeded, with the proposed works halted and the wild space protected for both people and nature.
Case study two – Southampton
In Southampton, participants completing the John Muir Award used their experiences of the River Itchen to become advocates for one of England’s most important chalk streams.
Through surveys, community engagement and environmental monitoring, young people developed a deeper understanding of the challenges facing the river and shared their findings with decision-makers, helping ensure youth voices were represented in conversations about its future.
Both case studies highlight how the Award can help young people move beyond learning about nature to becoming active champions for the places they care about.
The John Muir Award is helping create a growing movement of people taking positive action for wild places and developing stronger connections with the outdoors. For more information, please visit: https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/award.
