From the wetlands of the Somerset Levels and Moors to the brilliant 52 miles of Coastline from Brean Down to Porlock Weir, without forgetting the various rivers running through the county, Somerset boasts a rich diversity of waterways.

But in the face of the ecological crisis, these blue spaces need protecting more than ever. Luckily, enthusiastic and engaged young people are taking the lead.

For the past six months, Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Blue Mentor Thibaud Sulzer has been travelling around Somerset to meet young people aged 10-14 in schools, youth groups and other spaces to listen to their ideas for protecting blue spaces.

If the young people are interested, Thibaud is encouraging them to become a part of the Blue Influencer Scheme, a national program developed by Outdoor Education charity Ernest Cook Trust and match-funded with the #iwill fund.

The scheme is entirely youth-led and supports young people to design and deliver projects that look after their local blue space, be it a river, an estuary or the sea.

By letting young people express their own ideas and be in the charge of their own projects, new creative ideas are emerging that will support the environment around them.

For example, one Blue Influencer group is preparing a community day in the heart of Taunton, which will include freshwater sampling and litter picking while on paddle boards! Another group is making plans to build their very own pond within their schoolgrounds and allow wildlife to naturally find their way towards this much-needed habitat.

The scheme not only benefits blue spaces but also the young people themselves, as it assists them to create deep, lasting and meaningful connections with the natural environment. Through this scheme young people can learn and build skills which will help them contribute to the local community through environmental social action.

Somerset Wildlife Trust are keen to hear more exciting ideas from young people across Somerset, so if know anyone aged 10-14 who would like to get involved in this exciting scheme, please get in touch with Thibaud on thibaud.sulzer@somersetwildlife.org For more information about the Blue Influencers Scheme, please visit Influencers Schemes – The Ernest Cook Trust.