UHI students are first recipients of redesigned John Muir Award

We were delighted to join the pilot group of John Muir Award participants at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Fort William campus on Thursday 8 May, as they became the first to complete the redesigned John Muir Award.

Launched in March this year, the refreshed John Muir Award places an even greater focus on delivering benefits for the UK’s wild places and people. 

The group of UHI students undertook the Award as part of their Countryside Skills with Ranger Training course, led by instructor Ellie Moore. The course was delivered in collaboration with the Nevis Landscape Partnership.

A group presentation started the afternoon off, focusing on how the group achieved each of the four challenges of the Award - Discover, Explore, Conserve and Share - was followed by individual presentations sharing each student’s experience. They presented to an audience of university staff, Award partners, and John Muir Trust representatives.

The students reflected on gaining awareness of wild places through the Award, specifically in their local area of Lochaber. The group undertook an impressive range of hands-on conservation work across the area including clearing 7,150m² of non-native invasive species, maintaining 2,190m² of mountain footpaths, planting 100 saplings of native tree species and establishing exclosures to support natural regeneration.

Each student spent 245 hours carrying out practical conservation activities with the overall time the group spent on their Award being 2,240 hours.

Individual presentations then followed, with each Award participant reflecting on their time on the course. Scrapbooks, illustration books and even a podcast inspired by their John Muir Award journey were shared.

The day ended with John Muir Award Officer Steph McKenna presenting the students with a John Muir Award certificate each, celebrating the successful achievement of their Award.

• Find out more and start your Award journey here: johnmuirtrust.org/award