South West Ambassador Adventures

In May, the South West Ambassadors from Action for Conservation (AFC) spent a vibrant day at Avon Wildlife Trust’s Grow Wilder site, an urban nature hub found in Bristol. 

The visit offered Ambassadors the opportunity to experience a mix of hands-on crafts, citizen science surveying, food growing, and time spent in nature. Ambassador Leah described the site as “a refreshing burst of green in the otherwise busy area", where the morning was “already buzzing with volunteers and workers.”

Leah, South West Ambassador

Throughout the day, the group participated in a wide range of activities, including a scavenger hunt focused on expanding their environmental knowledge, recycled paper-making, a biodiversity survey, and planting runner beans with Sims Hill Shared Harvest, a community food growing social enterprise.

Leah shared: “We did a whole range of fun and interesting activities on the day, such as a scavenger hunt around the site with questions about how we can help the planet, making recycled seed paper, a survey of the new nature site counting species in different areas and comparing the diversity, and planting runner beans with some farmers on a community farm.”

For Leah, the highlight was meeting the Sims Hill Shared Harvest team:

“My favourite activity was planting the runner beans, because I loved meeting the farmers and hearing how they got into the jobs they do, and how much effort goes into growing food for the community. I really like how every time I go on a trip with AFC I meet so many interesting people doing jobs I didn't even know existed.”

Meanwhile, Hamish, another South West Ambassador, particularly appreciated the creative and relaxing elements of the day. He reflected, “It was an amazing experience in which we did scavenger hunts, paper making, tapestry and planting. Personally, I enjoyed tapestry the most because it was calming and therapeutic.”

Beyond the activities themselves, what stood out most to both Ambassadors was the sense of connection between people, nature, and the AFC community.

“Being an AFC ambassador is important to me because not only do I learn more about the environment, but also how we can protect and preserve it,” said Leah. “It's also brilliant to stay in touch with the friends I made at the AFC Summer Camp. I always leave an AFC visit feeling more connected, both with new people, old friends and nature.”

Hamish echoed this sentiment, adding, “I really like these events because of the outdoor time and fun activities we all get to do. It’s good to be an ambassador because of all the opportunities you get to go outdoors, have fun and learn about nature. The AFC team are amazing - thank you for a great year and the custard creams.”

The visit to Grow Wilder was a reminder of how impactful these shared outdoor experiences can be, nurturing curiosity, community, and confidence in young environmental leaders. 

Thanks for reading!