Edge Hill University awards scholarship to Preston girl for her conservation work in the Fylde

20-year-old Haidee Bailey has a passion for conservation and fighting climate change, and currently studies BSc Ecology and Conservation at Edge Hill, but before even starting her studies, has already gained plenty of experience.

Haidee was one of the first members of the Youth Council at the Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, an international organisation that has created the first youth-funded nature reserve in Ecuador, preserving an area of the rainforest and creating a reserve for plants and animals. She has also been working with a team of volunteers to protect the Fylde Sand Dunes, an ecologically important but threatened area of the North West coast near where she lives.

Haidee said: “I think it’s important to protect the environment and these unique habitats for the plants, animals and people that live there. I used to feel worried about climate change but taking proper action has helped me to feel more positive about the future. The reality is that we all need to play our part in protecting the environment or it will deteriorate even further.”

In her three years volunteering at Reserva, Haide has helped build the organisation, given talks on their behalf, and raised funds by organising a Run for the Rainforest, a Frog Naming Competition and a Concert for Conservation.

Reserva Founder and Executive Director Callie Broaddus said: “Haidee’s extraordinary commitment to our mission is complimented by her amiable personality, contributions to meetings and sheer stick-to-itiveness.”

To protect the Fylde Sand Dunes, Haidee has been getting her hands dirty, digging ponds, planting grasses and removing invasive species on the dunes to protect against erosion.

She said: “In Fylde we have made a real difference by taking practical steps to improve the area. We are protecting this very unique and important area of the coast that hosts many species of plants and animals.”

To support her conservation work and help with her studies Edge Hill has awarded her an Excellence Entrance Scholarship worth thousands.

Haidee commented: “I was really surprised, and I didn’t expect to get the scholarship at all. I’ll use the money to fund my travel when volunteering which will help me to continue doing all these projects.”