This summer, a gang of P7 pupils from Galloway took part in the ‘Go Wild’ Summer Activity camps. These camps explore topics such as responsible outdoor access, provide young people with the tools to enjoy the Galloway outdoors, and are enormous fun for all involved! The 3 camps and activity through the summer culminated in a celebration event at the Galloway Activity Centre, with participants receiving the John Muir ‘Discovery’ Award.
The three camps catered for 30 participants, with activities including den making, river dipping, animal tracking, cooking and great fun outdoors. In light of the Galloway Glens imminent departure, the camps were largely supported and led by local partners. The Kirkcudbright Camp was supported by the Kirkcudbright Development Trust, the Castle Douglas Camp was led by the team at NTS Threave Estate and the Glenkens camp was supported by the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust.
The programme was overseen by Jan Hogarth, Galloway Glens Education & Community Engagement Officer. Jan presented the awards to participants at the Galloway Activity Centre, and said:
Go Wild is a fantastic opportunity for young people to have a week of fun while connecting with nature, learning about wildlife and conservation, and important outdoor “bush craft” skills. During the week the young people gain their John Muir Discovery Award. The Go Wild experience can foster a lifelong love of the natural word and the skills to enjoy the great outdoors with an ethos of ‘leave no trace’. Huge thanks to Galloway Activity Centre for hosting our awards ceremony again this year and for ensuring our Go Wilders get to meet and have fun together. Also thanks to the Castle Douglas Rotary for helping support the event at GAC.”
Maria Wheeler was a Go Wild participant in the Glenkens Camp. Maria said:
“I really enjoyed my Go Wild week. I liked having the river near our camp and exploring it. We had a fun day walking up the stream together, climbing over the rocks and through the trees. It was also really nice going to the activity/certificate day at the Galloway Activity Centre. It was good getting together with the all the kids from the other camps and hearing about the different things that they did.”
Adam Hutchings at the Galloway Activity Centre said:
“It was great to have Galloway Glens Go Wilders at Galloway Activity Centre earlier this month. After celebrating their achievements, we took them out on the water on canoes and paddle boards. It was just lovely to see them challenging themselves and having fun on the water.”
The Celebration events at the Galloway Activity Centre was supported by a contribution from the Castle Douglas Rotary Club. A spokesman for the Club said:
“The club has been active in supporting the Stewartry’s youth for years and in our 60th anniversary year it is fitting that these 30 young people got the chance to participate in what was, for club members, a common experience of adventure and discovery in our P7 days!.”
This week has seen the launch of a ‘Go Wild’ report, giving a detailed overview of how the Go Wild Camps came about, were developed and the results achieved. This report is available here: https://gallowayglens.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Go-Wild-Outdoor-Education-Camps-Report.pdf.
The Galloway Glens Scheme is an initiative of the Council’s Environment Team, funded by a range of partners including The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
