Efforts of local young people on show at Eden Court in Inverness as Affric Highlands rewilding project launches Portraits of Recovery photo exhibition and new Green Leadership Award
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A PHOTO exhibition to showcase a youth involvement project was launched at Eden Court at the weekend.
Portraits of Recovery puts on display pictures from young people who live in the area in which the Affric Highlands rewilding project is being unrolled.
The scheme, which is an initiative by Dundreggan-based charity Trees for Life, is seeking to involve young people in the efforts to safeguard the local environment.
Participants from Invergarry Primary School, Kilchuimen Academy, Arnisdale and Glenelg Youth Group, and young people who access NHS Highland Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, have all taken part.
Mollie Saunders, a researcher working with Trees for Life who has worked along the kids for this project, said about the pictures: "I love them, they are so beautiful. You look at some photos and then you look at the quote underneath and you see so much more about the image. I just love the stories the children are telling with the pictures.
"It's important to bring in that curiosity and focussing on the positives. We often talk about climate anxiety but it is important to find those aspects to give energy back to our generations. You can speak about the climate emergency and the anxiety without creating an anxious situation.
"It's a gateway, it's a communication bridge between mundane and that anxiety."
"We had two-hour sessions and by the end of it many hadn't realised that two hours had gone, and that shows how much wellbeing you can get when you are not focussing about wellbeing. We didn't focus on the mental health side of it but it came out by considering different perspective.
The pictures, which will be on show at Eden Court until July 30, are not named to encourage young people in freely choosing those most significant to them.
Ms Saunders said: "We decided not to put names on the pictures – there are so many young and vulnerable people who have enjoyed doing this even more because they knew their name wouldn't be there so they felt more free in this.
"When it came to choosing the pictures for the exhibition, they were much more likely to choose the pictures because they liked them rather than picking something based on what others might like. They could choose something they felt truly theirs.
"It wasn't about who was there, it was about what they got out of it. It didn't matter what their backgrounds were, they got as much out of it as anyone else.
The project has been running for two months but Trees for Life aims to follow up and offer further opportunities.
"We are trying to do more of these projects which allow young people to explore themselves through a variety of medium.
"Being in the Scottish Highlands we were very lucky to have nature on our doorsteep."
Alan McDonnell, programme development manager at Trees for Life, said: "For Affric Highlands, it's about engaging with the communities, and thinking what we want the landscape to look in 30 years time. We really need to speak to kids, because these are their communities and their future.
"It's important to engage with young people whether they are nine or 19, and doing it so through what they are passionate about and what they can bring to the conversation. It takes time to build that engagement but it can be done by building a pathway.
"It's an offer to engage and bring in their skills."
On the day, which started with an eco-art workshop for the family carried out by Innes Anderson, High Life Highland announced the start of a new Green Leadership programme to encourage involvement with the environment and building the skills of young people in the Highland communities.
Imogen Furlong, Outdoor Activities Manager at High Life Highland, said this will be an exciting opportunity for young people.
"This new Green Leadership Award will be carried out in a similar way to our existing leadership programmes, with different levels which young people can commit to.
"It's a great opportunity and participants will be supported each according to their needs so that they can develop their confidence and leadership skills."
Anyone wishing to get involved with the leadership programme can email Elizabeth.McDonald@highlifehighland.com.
If you want to learn more about Trees for Life, the Affric Highland project and more about getting involved visit treesforlife.org.uk.
