Pembrokeshire students on the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme are helping to keep their National Park special.

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has teamed up with the scheme's co-ordinators to trial a Youth Conservation Volunteering programme.

So far, young people have enjoyed volunteering days with National Park rangers in the north and south of the park.

Community ranger Kiri Howell, the project co-ordinator for the authority, said: "We organise the volunteer days at weekends or in the school holidays and it's varied work across the Park. It's generally practical work on our footpaths, to improve them or perhaps to open them up.

"We work the young people hard because they have to do a certain number of hours for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. So they are with us from 10 am to 4 pm and they work flat out. We've been extremely impressed by them and we're grateful for their help in improving facilities for National Park communities."

The volunteer sessions have so far involved footpath improvements at Manorbier, Milton and Dinas.

Dave Sommerville, Pembrokeshire County Council's Duke of Edinburgh's Award co-ordinator, added: "The National Park days contribute to the Volunteering Section of the students' awards - they have to demonstrate that they are providing a benefit for the local community.

"They work well because they are real projects that the National Park Authority would be carrying out anyway; they're not one-off jobs laid on especially for the young people."

Anyone interested in further information on the Duke of Edinburgh's Award should contact Dave Sommerville on 01437 775235.