The John Muir Award in the Cairngorms has been so successful that the project is being extended for a further year.

The John Muir Award is the educational initiative of the John Muir Trust and is managed locally by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA). It encourages groups or individuals of any age to discover, explore, conserve and share their experiences of wild places, whether they are on the doorstep or much further afield.

In the three years that the John Muir Award has been running in the Cairngorms a total of 2,322 people aged from primary school pupils to pensioners have achieved varying levels of the Award, helping to generate a greater understanding and awareness of the special qualities of the Park.

Alan Smith, the John Muir Award Manager for the Cairngorms said: “I am absolutely delighted that the John Muir Award is being extended for another year.

“It recognises the importance of the Award in enabling people to find out what a fantastic place the Cairngorms National Park is and encourages people to get involved in doing something to conserve it for current and future generations – just like John Muir himself!”

Rob Bushby of the John Muir Award said: “This has been a really effective partnership between the John Muir Trust and the Cairngorms National Park Authority. The Trust appreciates the wide-ranging support for this initiative, and hope that it continues to go from strength to strength.”

The JMA in the Cairngorms is funded by the CNPA, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Cairngorms LEADER+ programme.