Wilded

Our free education programme for secondary schools and youth groups in England and Wales

what is wilded?

Our WildED Programme is delivered in secondary schools and youth groups across our three priority regions: London and the South East, Bristol and South Wales, Manchester and the North West.

We’ll visit your school or youth group to deliver a series of inspiring sessions over the school year to deepen your young people’s connection to nature and their understanding of the natural world. They’ll gain practical skills, build their knowledge and confidence, and emerge as young leaders motivated to drive further change on their school grounds and in their local communities.

As part of the programme, we support you to join us for ‘Inspiration Day’ visits to amazing community partners, like Grow Wilder in Bristol, Platt Fields Market Garden in Manchester and Epping Forest in London, where your young people will take part in practical activities, like tree planting, that benefit their community and inspire their personal projects.

An infographic showing the stages on the WildED programme, from workshops, inspiration action days, project planning and project delivery

Contact Our Programmes Team
read the Case Studies
see our Impact

  • "It’s great to see students taking real ownership of a project and seeing the long-term impact of their actions."

    Geography Teacher, Thomas Tallis School, London

  • “Action for Conservation comes in and listens to all our opinions. All of us in the group feel heard and like our opinion matters.”

    Year 8 student, North Liverpool Academy

  • "Being outside and helping nature has impacted my mental health for the better. Everyone should have the chance to spend a few hours every week to reconnect with nature."

    Year 8 Student, Cleeve School, Gloucestershire

  • "Every time I walk past the trees we planted to go to Physical Education I feel like we’ve done something really good for the environment."

    Year 8 Student, Thomas Tallis School, London

A group of five people, including children and an adult, gathered outdoors on a rocky beach, looking at a device held by one of the children, with a cloudy sky in the background.
School children in school uniforms participating in outdoor activity, gardening or planting in a garden or field, with one child digging with a small yellow and black shovel.
School students planting seeds or seedlings in soil on a wooden table outdoors, wearing gloves and jackets.
Group of students walking through a community garden with raised beds and old tires used as planters on a cloudy day.
Young people painting with markers and craft supplies outdoors on a sunny day.
Students planting a tree using shovels and watering can.
Young people exploring rocks and pebbles on a beach shoreline during daytime, with one person crouching down to pick up a rock.
Group of students and teachers in a classroom holding banners with 'ACTION FOR CONSERVATION' logo, with a world map and educational posters on the walls.
Several students holding white cards with pressed colorful flowers and leaves arranged on them in a circular pattern outdoors.
Students in school uniforms holding sticks during a planting activity.
A close-up of a hand holding a plastic container with small crabs and marine creatures, with a rocky shoreline and water in the background.
AFC team member and student planting or working with soil in a garden or outdoor area.
Students and adults planting trees in a garden bed, using shovels and wearing gloves. They are working together to plant young saplings.
A hand holding a green leaf with a small striped snail on it. In the background, a person is reaching towards the ground near a wooden surface with plants and gardening supplies around.
Children are sitting on the ground and engaging in a gardening activity using pictures of different plants and flowers, along with labels and educational materials.
A DIY insect hotel built with wood, bricks, and clay pipes, situated in a lush green garden with yellow flowers and plants.
A newly built wooden raised garden bed with soil and young plants, possibly everlasting snowdrops, in a garden area.
Three people standing in a garden with wooden raised beds and a wooden archway, smiling and giving thumbs up.
Group of people in suits and watches pointing at a newly planted tree in a large gray pot with a wooden sign that reads 'Planted in 2025,' during a tree planting ceremony.
A wooden planting plaque with the words 'Planted in 2025' and notes about generosity by partners, delivered by Action for Conservation and supported by the Mayor of London, among green plants and soil.

INTERESTED IN WILDED?

Our staff teams are based in London, Manchester, Brighton and Bristol and​ run the WildED Programme in the South East, North West and South West of England and in South Wales.

If you're interested in hosting WildED at your secondary school or youth group, then please get in touch with our Programme Team by completing the form.

Eligibility requirements

  • We deliver WildED for free in state secondary schools and youth groups located within an approximate 30 mile radius of Central London, Brighton, Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol.

  • We prioritise schools and youth groups where 50% or more of the young people they work with are in receipt of pupil premium and/or free school meals, or who face other barriers to participation.

To learn more about WildED, please read our WildED Guide.

WildED Guide

We prioritise schools & youth groups where more than 50% of young people receive pupil premium, free school meals, or face other barriers to participation.

Support Our Education Work

Case studies

Two students in purple school uniforms lean over a raised bed planting flowers and herbs.

Whalley Range High School, Manchester

  • A group of 25 year 9 students from Whalley Range High School took part in WildED workshops in class and on their school grounds.

  • During in-classroom workshops the students expanded their environmental knowledge, learning about the importance of urban green spaces for community well-being and sustainable gardening practices.

    They visited Platt Fields Market Garden, a community-supported agriculture project located in Platt Fields Park, Manchester. The students were surprised to discover such an impactful project on their doorstep. The highlight of their visit was planting potatoes, an activity that helped students develop a deeper connection to the land and to where their food comes from.

    The students then planned their own legacy project for their school, a new garden space. They worked collaboratively to plan and build their garden, choosing plants such as lavender, allium, sunflowers, salvia, azalea, and shrubs for winter interest.

    • Students created a pollinator-friendly garden with a range of perennials and winter shrubs.

    • 88% of students said WildED influenced them to do more to help nature in their everyday lives.

    • 94% of students are more knowledgeable about ways to protect and improve nature.

    • 100% of students would recommend WildED to other young people.

    • WildED inspired three students to apply and secure spots on AFC's Summer Camps in the Peak District.

Two young people wear warm coats and carry a tree sapling

Thomas tallis school, london

  • A group of 17 year 8 students from Thomas Tallis School in south London participated in WildED workshops in class and on their school grounds.

  • Students took part in a series of workshops with AFC’s South East team across the 2024/2025 academic year.

    They expanded their knowledge of environmental issues during interactive classroom workshops.

    They learnt how to make bird feeders from recycled and natural materials. These were then placed around the school grounds.

    The students planned bigger changes for their school, planting trees across the site. They now plan to build a micropond, creating habitat for aquatic plants and animals.

    • Students planted 20 trees across their school site.

    • 82% of students said WildED has influenced their plans for the future.

    • 81% of students said that after taking part in WildED, they have more skills to help nature.

    • Young people were asked what feelings they would use to describe their experience of WildED. They said:

      1. “Happy”

      2. “Nature-ness”

      3. “Exhilarating” 

      4. “Wonderful”

A willow dome is in a garden with a hand painted sign next to it

Cleeve school, cheltenham

  • The group is comprised of 35 students from all year groups, with the majority being Key Stage 3. Students from year 11 acted as mentors, supporting younger students to develop and deliver their project.

  • Students identified a bare and overgrown garden space on their school grounds. They created a plan to rejuvenate the space for the school community. They built a willow dome, planting flowers around it, the dome is set to be used as a calming space to enhance students wellbeing.

    They enhanced the rest of the space by building a willow arch at the entrance and planting climbing honeysuckle alongside it. They added paving stones to allow exploration of the space and refurbished a vegetable growing area using raised planters and reclaimed pots.

    Lastly, the group designed and built a small pond next to the willow arch to encourage aquatic species.

  • Food and herbs grown in the new vegetable planters have been used in the school canteen and food technology lessons. In addition, we saw positive impacts on students who participated:

    • 100% of students who participated would recommend WildED to another young person.

    • 73% of students said WildED has led them to do more for nature in my every day lives.

    • 83% of students said WildED has influenced my outlook on the future.

"Supporting young people in expanding their environmental knowledge and putting this into action as part of WildED is exciting. The work they achieve to address social and environmental issues in their local area is incredibly inspiring."

Chloe Ly - South East Programme Coordinator

Chloe wears a green cap backwards, she smiles at the camera and is standing on a hill overlooking a town and the coast

impact

Infographic - 86% of students are more aware of and excited about the role they could play in conservation
Infographic - 86% of students better understand what conservation is and why it is so important
Infographic - 100% of teachers would recommend WildED to another school

“What we've been able to do at Penpont has been the most progressive form of education we've had.”

Willow, Penpont Youth Leadership Group Member

Explore Education At Our Intergenerational Nature Restoration Projects