Sand dunes remain one of the true ‘wild’ places on our doorsteps, with their winding paths, sandy mountains, hidden pools and rare wildlife. They’re home to many special plants and animals, from natterjack toads and dragonflies to orchids – and they’re also great pockets of wilderness to explore. However, sand dunes are becoming increasingly scarce, putting the wildlife that lives there at risk. 

The Dynamic Dunescapes project and Cumbria Wildlife Trust are excited to announce a new opportunity for you to get involved in saving these precious habitats. They have partnered with The John Muir Trust, an environmental award scheme, and have come up with a whole host of exciting ways that you can explore, discover and protect your local coast and sand dunes this summer, as you work towards getting your John Muir Award in Cumbria.

Eve Mulholland, People Engagement Officer for Dynamic Dunescapes at South Walney Nature Reserve, says: “We’re delighted to announce this exciting partnership with The John Muir Trust. We’ve created an activity pack full of ideas for all the family to fill in and log your journey as you go. Individuals can join in too! You can make a treasure map, be a Dune Detective, learn about dune wildlife, build Sea Critters, write stories, be a conservationist, try some beach art – just to mention a few!”

Eve continues: “It’s great to launch this new partnership during National Marine Week, the nationwide celebration of our coasts and sea shores that the Wildlife Trusts are running until 9 August, with exciting events taking place up and down the country. If you love the sea shore and want to dive into National Marine Week, why not start by downloading a Dune Discovery action pack today?”

The John Muir Award is an environmental award scheme focused on wild places, for people of all backgrounds. It helps people connect with, enjoy, and care for wild places. It's free, non-competitive, inclusive, accessible and most of all fun! Out now, the John Muir Award allows participation for children of all ages and abilities as part of a family group. This award is a collective achievement for each family. Opportunities for schools coming soon.

John Muir was a conservationist whose passion for wild places led him on a life-long quest to protect them. The John Muir Trust is a charity founded in 1983 to safeguard and conserve wild places in the United Kingdom and set up the Award to continue this mission.

Are you up for the challenge?

Click here to find out about the Award and to sign up. 

Click here to find out more about National Marine Week activities in the North West.

Dynamic Dunescapes is a partnership project between Natural England, Plantlife, Natural Resources Wales, National Trust and the Wildlife Trusts. The project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the EU LIFE Programme. Working across 34 sites in England and Wales, the projects aims to undertake 7,000 hectares of conservation restoration, supporting 33 important sand dune species.