The Junior Rangers are a fantastic group of young people who meet monthly to share their passion for nature and take positive, practical action to protect wildlife and the planet.
Over the course of 2025, the Junior Rangers worked hard, had fun and made a massive impact – this is what they got up to!

In March, the team searched for signs of mammals on the nature reserve. They found evidence of animal homes, footprints identified using field guides and (of course) poo! All of these signs proved that animals such as badgers, otters and foxes are living on the reserve.

In April, the Junior Rangers put the knowledge learned at the previous session to good use by creating the “Mammal Mysteries” leaflet. Members of the team designed the layout and developed the content, including the illustrations. The leaflet is now available for young visitors to Stanwick Lakes to pick up from the Visitor Centre, helping them to find and identify signs of mammals on the reserve.

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In May, we took part in a global public art and climate initiative – THE HERDS. From April to August 2025, life-size puppet animals travelled through city centres on a 20,000 km journey from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle, highlighting the impacts of climate change. As part of this project, the Junior Rangers helped to make a giant kestrel puppet, which became the centrepiece of a Visitor Centre exhibition about THE HERDS and animal migration.

In June, water voles were reintroduced to Stanwick Lakes and, of course, the Junior Ranger team got involved. One young person helped out on the day of release, while others set up latrine rafts to help us monitor the water voles once they had settled into their new habitat.

In July, the Stanwick Lakes Rangers began work on a Woodland Workshop. Once complete, this space will allow people to take part in woodworking craft sessions and woodland skills such as charcoal making. During this session, the Junior Rangers helped by building a wood store and cutting wood in preparation for the workshop.

In September, the team got stuck into one of the key conservation tasks on the reserve – willow clearance. Clearing willow helps maintain the reed edges of the lakes, which provide vital habitat for wetland birds. The willow was not wasted and was instead used to make willow lanterns. The team love a task that involves tools!

In October, several new members joined the team and we undertook surveys of ponds, lakes and rivers. Using the Freshwater Habitats Trust “Big Pond Dip” survey, the Junior Rangers went dipping to assess the health of the water bodies across the site.

In November, the Junior Rangers were one of several volunteer teams taking part in the Mammal Society’s National Harvest Mouse Survey. They searched carefully through tussocky grass along the riverbanks, looking for abandoned harvest mouse nests. They found an impressive four nests, which were recorded on the Mammal Mapper app. Their hard work has contributed valuable data to national monitoring efforts.

In December, the final session of the year focused on spotting, identifying and learning about wetland birds that can be found on the reserve during winter. The group played winter bird bingo, kindly provided by the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants, and made bird food to take home for their gardens. The session ended with a festive campfire.

It’s been an amazing year, and the Junior Rangers have enjoyed the wide range of activities they have taken part in. Being a Junior Ranger gives young people the chance to gain hands-on conservation experience, learn new skills and spend time with others who share their passion for nature.

We have big plans for the Junior Rangers in 2026, including more practical conservation tasks such as willow cutting, surveys focusing on butterflies, wasp spiders and harvest mice, and a range of nature engagement activities. Our current team is full, with a waiting list in place, so we are also planning more one-off opportunities for young people to get involved. Sign up to our monthly newsletter to find out more.

And finally, none of this would be possible without our funders.

A big thank you to the Maud Elkington Trust, who funded the Junior Ranger team throughout 2025, enabling us to grow the group, subsidise session costs and offer a varied programme of activities.

The water voles were reintroduced as part of a partnership project with the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants, funded by Natural England.
The Linnean Society of London funded the “Mammal Mysteries” leaflet, and Art Fund supported our involvement in THE HERDS project.