Castlewellan wildlife activist recognised by Prime Minster

Castlewellan wildlife activist recognised by Prime Minster

21 November 2018

A CASTLEWELLAN teenager has been recognised by Prime Minister Theresa May for urging young people to protect the environment.

Fourteen year-old Dara McAnulty is one of the latest recipients of the the Points of Light award, which recognises outstanding volunteers who are making a change in their community and inspiring others.

He was presented with his award at an event held at Kew Gardens in London last week.

Mrs May wrote to Dara congratulating him on his achievement.

“Through your award-winning blog, you are encouraging young people to support their local environment and learn about the importance of conservation,” she said.

“Your writing is raising awareness of how nature can help people cope with autism and you should feel proud of this remarkable achievement.”

Dara has been a driving force behind the Grassroots Challenge run by Ulster Wildlife.

In his blog he encourages other people his age to make videos of the out-doors and at the same time participate in conservation. 

Dara, who is autistic, says he is inspired by the beauty of the Mourne countryside on his doorstep and that developing a connection with nature helps him manage his anxiety.

This in turn helped him to open the door for other people his age to become conservation enthusiasts too.

Dara said: “I am honoured to receive the Points of Light award. I sincerely hope that it shines a light on how vital nature is to us all, our mental health, our wellbeing and the survival of all life.

“We need more young voices to speak up and take action for nature though. I will continue my work and hope that many more will follow.”

Dara recently worked with Springwatch presenter Chris Packham on The People’s Walk for Wildlife 

campaign.

He spoke to 10,000 people at Hyde Park about conservation and also completed a 30-mile walk that raised over £6,000 to tag and record threatened birds of prey.

He is soon to publish a book called ‘Diary of a Young Naturalist’ based on his blog, which won runner-up in the BBC Wildlife Magazine Blogger Awards.

Charlotte Hill, CEO of Step Up To Serve, which coordinates the #iwill campaign, said: “We know that young people have the energy, ideas and drive to address issues in their community and to tackle many of society’s tougher challenges. 

“We are so pleased to see the Prime Minister recognising the astounding achievements that Dara has made through his volunteering, fundraising and campaigning, and hope this inspires Dara and other young people to continue their fantastic work.”