Our Vision

The Challenge

Young adults care deeply about the climate, yet many feel unsure where they fit. Eco-anxiety is rising, access to nature varies sharply across communities, and there is no clear route from local greenspaces into the wider work of restoring ecosystems.

Opportunities to get involved often assume prior experience, confidence, or access to resources, leaving many young people feeling excluded. At the same time, the environmental sector remains one of the least diverse in Great Britain, meaning decisions about land, nature, and climate are shaped by too narrow a group.

At a time when Scotland urgently needs more people involved in nature recovery, too many young adults feel they have no place in it. The Discover Nature Award changes that.

Our vision is for the leaders of this movement to be as diverse as the nature we are restoring, not reflecting the monocultures that have diminished our landscapes. Belonging comes before expertise, and lived experience is valued alongside ecological knowledge.

We exist to empower young adults to find their place in nature recovery, bridging the gap between urban greenspaces and wilder landscapes to create a clear, supportive pathway into environmental action.

Through a co-designed syllabus that explores both the challenges we face and the solutions available, alongside a supportive peer community, participants build confidence, agency, and a lasting sense of belonging. The pathway can lead into volunteering, skills development, and routes into green jobs as part of a just transition.

As the programme grows, our Discover Nature Award will offer organisations across Scotland a co-designed blueprint for youth-led, inclusive environmental action shaped by the DNA community itself.

We believe every young adult should be able to find their place in nature recovery. That belief sits at the heart of DNA and guides the future we are building.