The Viva Veolia Youth Ranger Project ran for two years at Crane Park Island in south west London. The London Wildlife Trust site hadn't had a bespoke youth (16-25 years) project before.

London supports a network of valuable habitats and natural spaces, and populations of a diverse range of species, and it's important to inform and involve young people in our work to protect them.

The project worked with individuals and groups of young people to carry out physical improvements on the nature reserve and to teach practical conservation and wildlife identification skills. The project aimed to attract young people to the nature reserve who had little or no experience of conservation work and who would not have naturally come to such a place, as well as those who had more knowledge. The project officers and participants also did outreach to a wide range of groups, working to reach as diverse an audience as possible.

The Youth Rangers were involved in a wide range of activities, from taster day session of photography inspired by the nature reserve to daylong practical work days. Youth Rangers helped create a wildflower meadow on the nature reserve and did other habitat management work like planting reeds and cleaning rubbish out of the River Crane.

Youth Ranger Richard says "The thing I enjoy most about Crane Park Island is the events that involve hands on practical conservation."

Youth Rangers also had a go at other areas of nature reserve management, ranging from organising and running events, like a family butterfly day, to monitoring wildlife in the reserve. Participants monitored bird boxes and the butterfly population of the island, and learned how to do water vole surveys.

Nahida had this to say about her experiences: "I most enjoyed holding the events for the public. I enjoyed meeting new people, it has made me more confident and really happy that we were trusted with a lot of responsibility." 

The young people also had a role in extending the nature trail on Crane Park Island, helping visitors gain the most out of their visit to the nature reserve.

The project has attracted almost a hundred different young people to come and volunteer at Crane Park Island. It's increased the number of volunteers visiting the nature reserve and helped boost the existing volunteer group.  As a result much more important practical conservation work has been carried out.

The Youth Ranger Project is an England-wide flagship youth environmental volunteering project, delivered by The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts on eight sites around the country on behalf of the Veolia Environmental Trust and v, the youth volunteering charity.