THE PRINCESS OF WALES JOINS CHIEF SCOUT, DWAYNE FIELDS, IN A SPECIAL FILM SHOWCASING THE POWER OF SPENDING TIME IN NATURE
The Princess of Wales, Joint President of Scouts, and Chief Scout, Dwayne Fields, have appeared in a short film discussing the importance of the natural world and its ability to support our health and wellbeing on a visit to the Lake District last month.
The film sees the Princess and Dwayne on a walk near the shores of Lake Windermere where they spend time with a group of Scouts aged between 10 and 15 from groups in Cumbria and Greater Manchester as they undertake a challenge to earn their Naturalist Badge.
During their conversation, Her Royal Highness and Dwayne talked about how spending time in nature can help us to deepen connections with ourselves and each other while building our skills of empathy, resilience and our sense of belonging. The two also discussed the impact being in nature can have on young people in building their confidence and skills for later life.
During the film, the Princess of Wales says:
“I find it a very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection I suppose, these environments. Not everyone has that same relationship perhaps with nature, but it is so therefore meaningful for me as a place to balance and find a sort of sense of peace and reconnection in what is otherwise a very busy world.”
And Dwayne says:
“I think it’s really important for young people to have access to nature because it’s a space where they can push themselves, they can challenge themselves, they learn leadership skills, spend time making friends and those life-long really great memories that we all hold onto. And I think if we can do that, we’ll build up a generation who is passionate about our natural spaces and passionate about protecting them as well.”
Scouts regularly enable 450,000 young people to engage with and experience wellbeing in nature, a cause which is very close to the Princess’s heart. Taking part in camping, hiking, canoeing and climbing gives young people the ability to develop their team working, leadership and planning skills and helps them become more resilient and supportive of each other.
Reflecting on the film, Dwayne said:
“In an increasingly complex world digital technology has its place, but the few hours we spent in the hills without screens was magical: we are often at our best in the outdoors, and I want more young people to experience outdoor adventures like this for themselves.
“Outdoor adventures can build the vital skills young people need for the rest of their lives, they hugely benefit health and wellbeing, and boost friendships. And with the help of more adult volunteers, we hope to get more young people out into nature in the future.”
The Princess has been Joint President of Scouts since 2020. This was the first time she had met Dwayne Fields, who took on his role as Chief Scout in September 2024.
