By Jess, Rosa and Ellen
The power of changing the landscape has been held in too few hands for too long, the People’s Plan for Nature has given agency back to the people. 100 people from across the UK came together to take part in the People’s Assembly for Nature. They have worked to develop a plan and a set of recommendations for change on behalf of the UK public. This ground-breaking project has been powered by the WWF, RSPB and National Trust and is a unique collaboration with the public to protect and restore nature in the UK.
Across four weekends, two in-person and two online, the Assembly met and heard from experts and practitioners from different sectors to help them understand the state of nature in the UK and what could be done to save it. All talks and resources from the Assembly can be viewed here. UK Youth for Nature was invited to observe some of the sessions:
How we farm and what this means for nature:
This session covered a wide range of topics focused on the impacts of different farming methods on our environment. Sue Pritchard from the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission started by discussing the history of farming, as we’ve moved from subsistence farming to more intense agricultural practices, with the development of technology. Soil scientist Professor Pete Smith then spoke about the implications of farming for our soil quality and the trickle down effects for our biodiversity. To pull it all together, Martin Lines from the Nature Friendly Farming Network spoke about practical solutions farmers can implement to help the wildlife that shares our countryside, while maintaining agricultural productivity.
Diets and supply chains:
This session covered a range of topics around how we source and farm our food, and the impact this has on the environment. One presentation was from a nature-friendly farmer, Mark Lea from Green Acres Farm, on how he is implementing organic methods such as natural fertilisers into his food production. This was followed by Anna Turrell, the Sustainability Director from Tesco, discussing how large supermarkets can reduce their environmental impacts from their position at the other end of the supply chains. These were just a couple of examples of the diverse range of speakers helping to answer key questions surrounding the success of nature-friendly diets in the UK.
The final weekend took place in the centre of Birmingham on the 4-6th of February. One of our Co-Directors, Ellen, went along to observe and to talk with other environmental NGOs about how we can move into the next stage now that the People’s Plan for Nature has been pulled together.
“It was genuinely one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had in my career. There was a real sense that this was a powerful moment in history that has so much potential to create positive change. Nothing like this has ever been done before and when all the working groups came together at the end of the day to read out the first draft of the People’s Plan there were more than a few people in tears.
During the day I had the opportunity to hear about the process of picking the 100 people who formed the Assembly. A huge amount of thought went into making the group as representative as possible. I’ve been to quite a few environmental conferences and I’ve never seen so much diversity, it was amazing, this is what it should look like. There were people from a range of different socio-economic backgrounds, different races, cultures, 16 year olds working with people in their 90s. What was so special was that everyone wanted to hear other people’s views and opinions, there was no sense that one person was better or more knowledgeable than the next, everyone felt like they were part of something bigger and that their voice mattered.”
“Communicated messages around saving the planet have been done in one way for so long, this is something different.” – Nadeem Perera, founder of Flock Together
“I am so excited about the People’s Plan for Nature, I really feel that this is something different. We’re not going to save nature unless everyone is involved and everyone feels that they have agency to act and speak up. We cannot let this plan become just another report, but from the energy and passion I saw in that room, I’m sure it won’t. This is a really exciting time for UK nature and I’m really looking forward to UK Youth for Nature helping to spread the message and push for change.” – Ellen
UK Youth for Nature will continue to support the People’s Plan for Nature. To find out more about our campaigns visit our campaigns page.
