Two New Biosphere Youth Representatives Recruited!

The Biosphere Isle of Man Team are pleased to welcome Mariella Craig and Peyton Smith as the new Biosphere IOM Youth Representatives, joining the wonderful Rachel Smith.

The Youth Representative roles are voluntary, with each representative holding the position for two years.

Mariella is really excited to join Rachel and Peyton; having grown up in the Isle of Man, she has always been inspired by the natural beauty and community spirit. This inspiration drives her passion for sustainability, with her focus on ensuring that communities and the natural environment continue to thrive.

Through this role, she hopes to ensure young people’s voices are heard, to boost youth engagement with Biosphere IOM, and collaborate with the wider community to create positive change.

Peyton is from Virginia and moved to the island over a year ago, after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Conservation from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Over the past year, Peyton has enjoyed exploring the island and learning about its rich landscapes, history, and culture. By the end of the year, she realised she had fallen in love with the island and wanted to contribute to conserving it in the best way possible. Peyton is excited to bring her background, skills, and knowledge in conservation to help protect the island’s Biosphere.

Peyton is most looking forward to engaging with and educating the island’s youth in various ways. She hopes to help build a community around young people, enabling them to continue conserving the beautiful island they call home.

Having seen the incredible work which Rachel has done over the last year – including representing Biosphere Isle of Man at the EuroMAB conference in June, setting up the Biosphere Youth Network, and conducting research on youth engagement - the Biosphere IOM Team of Breeshey Kermode and Jacqui Keenan are excited to work alongside the new Youth Rep team and see what they achieve.