Tessa Hofland

28/03/2025

Ten Polish students, ten Dutch students, cameras, lessons about nature in nature, and getting to know other cultures. For nearly twenty years, the We Young People See Nature exchange project has been about new friendships and fresh insights into nature. This year is no different. However, there is a new location: the Polish village of W Sosnowym Lesie, just 120 metres from the Baltic Sea. The new week starts on 6 April.

WE Young People See Nature (WYPSN) is an exchange project for 15- 17 years old high school students. They use a camera to learn to look at nature in all kinds of ways. Everything that grows, creeps, breathes and blooms – and more is considered nature. In city, field or forest. By looking at it in a different way, young people discover that nature isn’t boring at all.

Erosion
From 6 to 11 April, WYPSN will settle in W Sosnowym Lesie, which translates as ‘ In Pine Forest’. Almost on the Baltic Sea. It is a very special area, known for its beauty and sometimes rugged nature. It is also a place where the effects of global warming and climate change are unmistakable. Take, for example, the ruins of a church: once standing more than 300 metres from the sea, it has now almost completely disappeared.

A project that has been trying to convey the importance and beauty of nature to future generations for twenty years cannot ignore climate change. Since its launch in 2006, it has been an integral part of the programme. Whether it is the effects of gas extraction beneath the Dutch Wadden Sea or coastal erosion in Poland, the causes and dangers of a warming planet are a recurring topic of discussion.

Daily presentations
These might just be the most enjoyable presentations the students will ever give – the daily photography presentations. Every evening, they showcase their favourite and best photos, explaining why they find them beautiful. On the first day, it is often a little nerve-wracking. But as the students are encouraged to give each other positive feedback, the nerves quickly fade, while the applause and their confidence grow.

Read more about the project here.

When autumn is in the air, it has meant since 2006 that a new cohort of WE is about to begin.

15/09/2024

WE Young People See 2024/2025 is about to begin. After practising extensively with their cameras at home, it’s almost time for the first exchange with the new group. At the end of September, ten Dutch and ten Polish students will meet on the island of Texel.

WE Young People See Nature is an exchange project for 15 to 17-year-olds. They use cameras to learn how to observe nature. By looking at it from a different perspective, young people discover that nature is far from boring. The project has been running since 2006. Year after year, students learn not only to appreciate nature through the lens of a camera but also to appreciate each other, no matter how different they may be.

A project about nature and people never stands alone. Outdoors, you engage with biology, history, society, geography, and much more. Through conversation, you practise not only the common language of English but also how to connect with young people from entirely different backgrounds. Every evening, the photos must be presented, and even the most nervous participants manage to overcome their fear of presenting. The students help and support each other, with guidance from teachers and experts, of course.

The first introduction of the new group will take place on Texel, where students and teachers will spend almost a week immersed in the unique nature of the Wadden Islands. The expected results? Thousands of photos, new insights, and unlikely friendships. After this? A week in Poland, of course! That will be in June 2025.

Looking for more information about the project? Click here!
Want to know more about the organisation? Check here!