It's brilliant to get children enthused about nature – because they're the next generation who'll care for it in the future.
Our second Nature Hero is a dedicated volunteer. Seb Sillito runs the Kendal Kingfishers, a Wildlife Watch group for kids aged 6-12. Our nomination for Seb said he'd kept the group going for over a decade 'through thick and thin!'.
Here's more from Seb himself:
'I started volunteering for Kendal Kingfishers back when I first moved to Kendal, around October 2010. I've worked with children in the past in different settings and especially loved working with them in the outdoors.
Over time, my role progressed from helper to leader and we now run lots of different sessions aimed at children aged 6+. We try to be based outside most of the time, but have a few sessions over the winter inside. Some of the kids' favourite recurring events include pond dipping, minibeasting, bat walks, nature walks and visiting reserves, nest box building, wildlife craft activities and learning more about specific species.
It's brilliant to get children enthused about nature as they are the next generation who will care and help nature in the future. It really does bring them so much joy and I think it's really good for their mental wellbeing.
Seeing my two children, who have now started coming to the sessions, full of love and passion for nature gives me a warm glow inside and gives me hope for the future of our planet. The reason I volunteer running Kingfishers is because I am passionate about nature and love working with children, so having the two together is amazing.'