With the funding and support of the Scottish Government, Climate Change Message in a Bottle brought the voices of young islanders to COP26 after introducing them to climate science and governance. Twenty-five Scottish schools participated, and the project’s film was shown at several events during the global climate summit. After COP26, Climate Change Message in a Bottle returned to schools to explain what happened at COP26 and what this may mean for islands. You can read more about the project here.
Now that COP26 is over, we are delighted to share the news that the project will be extended, thanks to further support from the Scottish Government. Details of how young islanders can get involved are outlined below and for further information please contact, Bethany Walsh, Project Manager at bethany.walsh@strath.ac.uk
CLIMATE CHANGE MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE 2022
As part of the ongoing legacy of COP26 in Scotland, and in the context of the National Islands Plan, Climate Change Message in a Bottle will be returning to participating island schools in 2022 to creatively explore their carbon neutral futures. 2022 is Scotland’s Year of Stories, and Scotland’s islands are home to rich oral traditions. Considering this, participating children will design and tell the story of a ‘sustainable future’ on their island to incorporate storytelling into their hopes for the future.
Taking place between January and April 2022, Climate Change Message in a Bottle will involve Scottish island secondary schools as well as already-participating primary schools. Schools will work creatively to tell the story of their island futures, and results will contribute to the June 2022 Carbon Neutral Islands report as well as to the design of the Young Islanders’ Network.
Schools are also encouraged to produce illustrations which will be considered for the cover of the June 2022 Carbon Neutral Islands report. Furthermore, a comic-style booklet based on the children’s stories will be created and distributed around community centres and youth groups on the islands. A report detailing the children’s hopes and wishes for the future will be produced, the results of which will be considered in the implementation of the Carbon Neutral Islands project and Young Islanders’ Network.
If you would like your school to get involved, please contact Bethany at bethany.walsh@strath.ac.uk.
INTERACTIVE MAP
This is a call out to all island schools, youth groups and young people to share their thoughts on climate change and island sustainability. The project is inviting young islanders (aged 3-26) to submit messages to be shown on our interactive map, hosted by Island Innovation, which can be found here.
Follow the instructions below to submit your message to the map:
- Write a message which answers the questions:
- How is climate change affecting my island?
- How could my island become more resilient to the effects of climate change?
- Film yourself reading your message aloud
- Film in landscape and make sure there is no background or wind noise. For group submissions, please edit all footage into one video. Be sure to look directly at the camera, and film in HD quality. If you would rather not film, you may submit a photograph of you holding your written message to the camera.
- If your messages are not spoken in English, please provide English subtitles in the video.
- Each participant must complete a consent form.
- Complete the Google Form to upload your submission.
If you require any further information, please email Bethany, and If you know any island-based young people, youth groups or schools who may like to participate, please do pass this information to them.
Climate Change Message in a Bottle is funded by the Scottish Government and was founded by the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law & Governance (SCELG) in partnership with Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre, UistFilm and Island Innovation. SCELG would also like to thank Youth Scotland, Scottish Islands Federation, The Edge Foundation and Glasgow Science Centre for their collaboration on the project.