Young Nature Champions Announced

A 10-year-old primary school student has been crowned Young Nature Champion for 2024 for an insightful film about Manx bees.

Poppy Christian’s entry was selected as the overall winner in the competition, led by UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man in collaboration with Love Tech Isle of Man, Isle of Man Examiner, Manx Ornithological Society, and Manx Wildlife Trust, which encouraged young people to explore the wonders of nature and share their favourite observations.

Poppy, whose film captured the life of the bees in her garden in Ballaugh, including some beautiful close up footage, said: 'It feels good to win, and I will definitely enter again.'

The competition, which ran throughout the spring and summer months, invited young people, aged 21 or under, to share pieces of writing, short films, or audio recording of their discoveries within the world’s only entire Biosphere nation; you can explore all finalists’ entries here.

Clare Barber MHK, Minister for Environment, Food, and Agriculture, said: 'We are so fortunate to live in this wonderful Biosphere reserve with so much to see and do and it has been fantastic to see such genuine passion for it from our young people.'

Runners-up Darcie Duggan, 7, Tiffany Luu, 15, and Austin Rogerson, 11, were all commended for their entries, which included a poem about Manx wildlife and an underwater film exploring life in the seas surrounding the island, which make up 85% of the Biosphere.

Darcie said: 'The animals I encountered made me feel inspired and the competition allowed me to share this with my friends. I feel proud to be a runner-up and it makes me feel like I can do anything.'

Meanwhile, Eugene Mildwaters won the Manx Ornithological Society’s Bird Category with a beautifully illustrated piece about a visit to the Manx BirdLife Point of Ayre National Reserve, with Kynen Davies finishing runner-up for his entry about the adventures of geese.

The judges gave a special mention to Ballaugh School and their teacher Vicky Townend who sent some notable entries following trips to Manx BirdLife’s reserve at the Point of Ayre.

Robert Fisher, Ornithological Warden at the Manx Ornithological Society, said: 'The Young Nature Champion is a great way for the next generation of birdwatchers and ornithologists to show and share their enthusiasm for Manx nature.'

Claire Milne, Co-founder and Director of Love Tech, said: 'Love Tech is proud to support the Young Nature Champion 2024 initiative, which inspires young people across the Isle of Man to connect with and celebrate nature through creativity. This competition has highlighted the incredible talent and passion of our young people. We are thrilled to see their enthusiasm for nature come to life in such imaginative ways. Congratulations to the winner—it’s wonderful to see the next generation stepping up as champions for our environment.'

 Ali Ponko, Woodland Ranger at Manx Wildlife Trust, said: 'Manx Wildlife Trust are incredibly honoured to see so many young nature enthusiasts passionate about their biosphere and passionate to share their discoveries with the Isle of Man community. We hope to see more entries next year as our young people continue to connect with nature.'

A massive thanks to all of the competition entrants and partners in 2024! The 2025 competition will launch in the spring, where details will be published on this page.