A WILDERNESS training programme is offering teenagers the chance to get in touch with their wild side this summer.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is launching a competition to find 30 young people aged 11 to 17 to take part in its ‘Call of the Wild’ bushcraft and wilderness survival skills programme.
The programme is being funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery – making it free for applicants to take part.
The competition is expected to attract a vast amount of interest, so the trust is requesting applicants to complete an online form – using images, words or a video – to explain how they would benefit from the programme and whether they have what it takes to survive.
Youth engagement officer Matt Cox said: “We are designing Call of the Wild to be an immersive experience to blow any computer game, mobile phone app or TV show out of the water.
“We’re looking for those who want to be challenged and who want to put their resourcefulness to the test – they should be ready for an adventure which will test their senses in ways they maybe haven’t experienced before.”
Those chosen for Call of the Wild will work with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s ecology, education and survival experts over five days at its Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve to develop the skills needed to be self-sufficient and comfortable in a wilderness environment.
The two courses will take place between Monday, July 31 and Friday, August 4 and Monday, August 7 and Friday, August 11.
This will include building shelters, cooking on an open fire, learning to track animals, mastering the art of stealth and being able to identify useful species.
It will be a tightly-packed schedule of fun, outdoor tuition, teamwork, games and exercises and there will also be an optional celebration camp-out for all those who have taken part.
Matt said: “If the sound of Call of the Wild really speaks to you, we want you to get that energy and enthusiasm across to us in your application – after all you will need plenty of both of those to take part.
“We really want to capture that spirit of excitement and adventure that I think is familiar to anyone who was able to roam large areas of natural space as a child. It’s a voyage of discovery and about making new friends.”
The closing date for entries is Monday 19 June at noon and the trust will let applicants know whether they have been successful by Friday 23 June.
To find out more or apply visit www.warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/callofthewild
