People across Plymouth are being given the opportunity to show their nature credentials with a new digital badge scheme.
Users can earn a range of digital badges by taking time to connect with and enjoy nature, and by completing tasks linked to improving their local spaces for wildlife.
It is hoped that the badges will not only act as an incentive for people of all ages to explore and enjoy nature, but can also provide skills recognition and support potential employability.
The programme is being launched as a partnership between the Council's Green Communities team and the National Trust, funded by Natural England.
The badges have been developed with the expertise of the Nature Connectedness Research Group at the University of Derby and Real Ideas Organisation’s Badge Nation team.
"I'm really pleased to be able to launch this fantastic scheme," said Councillor Tom Briars-Delve, the Council's Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change.
"The badges will be a really great way of connecting people to the outdoors and the nature that we know our residents really value.
"From families looking for a fun, free activity to young people looking towards an environmentally-focused career, these badges will be perfect for so many people."
Councillor Sally Cresswell, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Apprenticeships, added: "These digital badges are a really innovative way of recognising skills around nature.
“They will be a fantastic tool for so many people interested in a career in the outdoors and I look forward to seeing the scheme go from strength to strength.”
The first four badges on offer will be:
Nature Explorer – for people who have had fun exploring nature and trying out new ways of connecting to it.
Nature Learner – for people who have shown enthusiasm to find out more about the natural world, contributing to Plymouth’s collective understanding of the natural world and human beings relationship to it.
Nature Creative – for people who have been inspired by the beauty and wonder of nature and used it to get creative.
Nature Guardian – for people who have shown care for their local environment and have taken action to make their local area better for wildlife.
These badges are part of a wider collection being developed and offered by a range of Plymouth City Council led projects, including Plymouth Natural Grid, and Building Resilience in Communities, and badges can be earnt by anyone participating in these projects.
Green Communities, launched last year as a successor to the successful Green Minds Project, is based in Devonport, Central Park, and the west of the city, specifically Keyham and Weston Mill. Each of the three neighbourhoods has a team allocated to them, made up of a National Trust ranger and a Council officer.
They are the friendly faces out and about in communities who work alongside businesses and social enterprises, local residents, schools, and community groups to understand how their green spaces can be improved and are supporting them to make it happen.
Get started on your badge collection now: greenmindsplymouth.com/knowledge-hub/resources/nature-digital-badges