Community Group: Trees for Life

Researcher: Mollie Saunders (Independent)

Location: Glen Affric, Highland

Supporting young people in the Affric region of the Highlands to take local community action around climate change, and use their community action and lived experience to help shape policy

Mollie Saunders, Community researcher at Trees for Life, said: 

[T]he whole network (as well as the specific support from Science Ceilidh) has been very helpful and supportive. It has become a massive support network – not just for information, not just about work, but also about the social side of things and the relationships that have developed

Phase 1 community-led research project

Charity Trees for Life work across the Highlands with a focus on conservation and rewilding. Their main geographical area of focus at the current time is the Glen Affric area.

In Phase 1, the group utilised the skills of their in-house researcher, Mollie Saunders to hold a series of five workshops with young people to engage them in conversation about climate change and conservation – the ‘conservation conversation’. 

This resulted in them co-developing the Highland Green Leadership Awards Scheme with the young people, offering the chance for young people to gain a qualification through working in nature and with the community. 

Capacity Building Project

In Phase 2 the capacity building grant has helped them to expand and build on this work, looking at how they can broaden out their engagement with young people locally. Following their first residential workshop with young people living in the Glen Affric area, they developed a particular focus on supporting young people to influence policy around rural issues.

This included involvement in the Scottish Youth Parliament, a visit to the Scottish Parliament to meet with the then First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf and Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon, and support with developing the Rural Youth Action Network.

They have also re-engaged with young people around specific local issues, including a photography project with young people looking at mental health and climate change, and a residential workshop as a reflective activity to help shape how people would improve rural communities. This has opened up ideas about careers in conservation as a distinct focus for the more local work.

Research impacts

The impact on the project has been significant in terms of the group’s reach into communities and particularly with young people. The report produced on the back of their Highlands Green Leadership Awards scheme will be used by their partners, High Life Highland, to guide their development of the awards and will inform Trees for Life’s youth engagement work going forward.

As a result, they have reported increased confidence in doing research in community contexts, and acknowledge the ‘gravitas’ that a research function brings to their ability to influence policy and strategy around climate change.