We’ve made some really good progress in terms of surveying Sloughbottom Meadows. We split up into smaller groups to find out what kind of nature was out there. Lydia [NWT Wilder Landscapes team] taught us how to identify different kinds of trees and how to record what we saw.

I’d say one of the main things I get out of being involved in the Youth Forum is the sense of community — being around other like-minded people and feeling like we are finally doing something to help nature! I talk about Sloughbottom Meadows and the Youth Forum with my friends and family, so that raises awareness too. In the future, I'd love to engage more with the local community – so that they come here more. It’s such a good space, so close to the city and nature is so necessary for people’s mental health.

I'd say the reserve is mainly wooded. There are a couple of more open areas where you’ve got tall wild grass growing. There seems to be quite a lot of wet areas there too, although maybe that was because it had been raining! It's very diverse, which makes it such a good spot to have, especially next to an industrial estate.

I studied illustration at uni and my interest in nature, at first, was birds. I really enjoyed identifying them and drawing them. Joining the Youth Forum really opened my eyes to all the other nature out there. My drawing has changed – I can include more of the natural elements and am drawing what I'm passionate about now. Uni was very regimented; my drawings are now more about sharing my passion for nature with others.

I don’t have an ecology background, so sometimes it feels like I'm behind in terms of the knowledge of what’s around me at the meadows and what conservation we need to do. We've all got different levels of knowledge though, so we balance each other out. I sometimes struggle with the feeling that I want to be doing more, progressing faster, but I know we need to take time to identify what needs to happen first. As a group, we’re in such a good place to look after this nature reserve; I should celebrate that, rather than thinking I should always be doing more.

It's really inspiring to see us all come together for a common goal but know that we’ve all got different tools under our belts – we're all different, but that makes it even more exciting to see what we’re all going to do.

Sloughbottom Meadows is owned by Norwich City Council and actively managed by the Norwich Fringe Project, in partnership with the Youth Forum. Find out more.