A monthly practical conservation group for young people, Wilder Wardens is currently based at NWT Hickling Broad.

Five of our eight Wilder Wardens joined the group following their attendance at the 'Careers in Conservation' fair we hosted at Sheringham High School in November 2022.

Our Wilder Wardens have told us they are interested in 'work experience for a future career in ecology', 'improving their knowledge and understanding of the natural world', and 'learning more about wildlife and how to protect it'.

Our aim is to give young people a flavour of what it's like to be part of the team managing our reserves for Norfolk's special habitats and wildlife. With this in mind, the group is led by both reserve and education staff. Depending on time of year, tasks carried out in the sessions may include scrub clearance, visitor infrastructure maintenance, and wildlife surveying.

In the inaugural session, the young people got stuck in straight away, planting a hedge next to our 'Living Shelter'. At their second session, they got a behind-the-scenes tour of the reserve and were lucky enough to see some of the site's star species, including common cranes, marsh harriers and a bittern! Most importantly, the group learned how and why the habitats at NWT Hickling Broad are managed for wildlife.

Our Wilder Wardens have loved seeing and learning about wildlife, and the privilege of visiting parts of the reserve not open to the public. They have suggested plenty of activities they would like to undertake in future sessions, which we plan to incorporate.

The creation of our Wilder Wardens group marks the start of NWT's comprehensive youth engagement offer. This is a significant step for young nature-lovers in Norfolk, for NWT as an inclusive organisation, and for the future of Norfolk's wildlife and wild spaces.

Find out more about Wilder Wardens