Could you be the next Biosphere Youth Representative?

Two Gef 30 Under 30 winners from different years have joined forces to save the planet. Rachel Smith, one of the Sustainability winners from this year, and Mariella Craig, a Sustainability winner from 2023, are both youth representatives on the Isle of Man Biosphere board.

‘We mainly do youth engagement work. We have the Biosphere Youth Network, aimed at 18 to 35-year-olds,’ Mariella says enthusiastically. ‘Through that we’ve held events that help us build a community. For example, we’ve done a mindfulness in nature session at Ballaglass Glen. And we’ve done other more educational events, like getting a talk and tour of Douglas Recycling Centre.’

The aim of the Biosphere Youth Network is to get everybody thinking sustainably and understanding what it means for the Isle of Man to be a UNESCO Biosphere.

‘I think there’s a lot of scary stats and news on climate change that can be depressing, but I would really like people to feel positive about the Isle of Man,’ Mariella goes on, ‘and to understand what we’re trying to achieve, which is a sustainable future, not just in terms of our environment but also our economy, community, and Manx heritage. It’s about having everyone understand that and building a community through that.’

Rachel recently accepted the role of the UK’s Biosphere Youth National Focal Point, meaning she’ll get to sit in on the UK’s main Biosphere committee as well.

‘During my role, I’ve helped other Biosphere reserves designate their own youth representatives, and so now I can gather their thoughts and opinions and share what amazing work they’re doing in their Biosphere reserves as well, which is all part of a master plan to help people on the island learn more about what other Biosphere reserves are doing and help us with our own Biosphere identity,’ Rachel says.

Both Rachel and Mariella’s passion for sustainability started in school and led to them initially meeting years later when they both volunteered with the Manx Wildlife Trust, which both cite as an incredibly valuable experience when it comes to learning about and understanding our eco-system and the impact we have on it.

‘As a young person, I always really loved being outdoors. And when I was at school, we started learning about the climate crisis and the plastic pollution problem, which were all new to me and quite threatening.’ Mariella says. ‘I remember thinking “why are we not worrying about this more?” So, from that, I was really interested in it. I decided to do a geography degree and ended up actually meeting Rachel through volunteering at the Wildlife Trust while on a on a break from uni. She had this idea of building a community of young people interested in the Biosphere and sustainability and I was like, well, that’s absolutely what I want to be joining when I moved back.’

‘My interest also started in school,’ Rachel adds. ‘I had a great interest for biology and learning more about how our world actually works and what our impact is, how we feed into the whole ecosystem that is our planet. I followed that passion, and did a year out when I came back to the island and worked with the Manx Wildlife Trust for a year volunteering with them, which was amazing. I always recommend taking a year out, because I learned so much about myself and learned so many new skills, my confidence just blossomed. And through that work, I identified my passion for the island. I wanted to get more involved but was like “where are all the rest of the young people who I can do that with?” So, I decided to build a youth network myself. It’s a bit daunting when you feel like you’re the youngest in the room, but you should never let that stop you.’

This wisdom beyond their years and conviction to their passion, a passion that will benefit not just themselves but the community and island as a whole, led to them each being crowned a Gef 30 Under 30 Sustainability winner. It came as a shock to Mariella.

‘It was so nice to be recognised for some of the work I did. From getting that recognition, more people have asked me about the Biosphere and showed interest in getting involved in sustainability. Even professionally, being a Gef 30 Under 30 winner has definitely helped. Having that on my CV has led to people asking me about it in job interviews, when it was brought up as a highlight, so that was really cool.’

Rachel, on the other hand, was already making use of the Gef 30 Under 30 campaign before even being nominated.

‘I spent a lot of time looking through other winners and being really inspired by them. It was a great way to network because it provided a great space to find other likeminded people and connect with them. It’s been especially helpful in my Youth Rep role because it meant I’ve been able to find young people who are doing a lot in the community to do with Biosphere and sustainability.’

Besides using Gef as a platform to connect with others with similar passions to build a community that aims to benefit the island in a plethora of ways, Mariella says having a campaign that recognises the work young people are doing is vital to keep them motivated to keep going.

‘There are a lot of people who are early in their career and doing fantastic things. And I think it’s so nice to recognize people and give them that extra boost they might need. Because sometimes you can be working on something so long and hit a point where you’re telling yourself, “Oh, nobody cares, what difference is it going to make?” So, to be recognized and have that platform that says “hey, we see you, you’re doing amazing” that promotes your work and can also lead to potential job opportunities is brilliant. There are loads of benefits to it.’

What was clear from speaking both Rachel and Mariella was their love for the Isle of Man and their desire to preserve it for generations to come. If you are equally enthusiastic about sustainability and the Biosphere, Rachel’s Youth Rep role is open for applications, as she moves onto her impressive UK’s Biosphere Youth National Focal Point position. Applications close on 20^th August; more information can be found here. Rachel and Mariella are also on hand and keen to chat to anyone who might be interested.