Have you ever really thought about why you care about the natural world and our environment? Was there a particular moment or special person in your childhood and formative years that created that spark, captured your imagination and taught you to look at things differently?
I believe it’s vital to know why it is we do what we do, so we have a good understanding of how to create that spark in others and help build the next generation of environmental campaigners and natures heroes who will, like us, step up and fight for our wildlife and wider environment to ensure that generations after them have the right to enjoy what we have.
Like many of us, my passion and interest in the natural world was nurtured by my parents and I am so lucky in that respect. After pondering for some time I have somehow been able to pinpoint pretty much the exact moment that my spark was ignited and the fire in my belly to fight for environmental justice was lit.
It was a rainy February morning in Manchester and my mum dragged me out of bed. It was 1996 and I was a belligerent 15 year old. Reluctantly I got up and got dressed, slightly embarrassed that I might be seen heading into Manchester with my mum. Wearing my baggiest hooded top we set off to our ‘rendezvous point’ near Manchester Town Hall. We arrived and there were a handful of others waiting patiently for a coach. I asked my mum again where we were going, so convinced was she that I come along, and she told me “We’re all going to a place called Newbury. The government are trying to build a road through an area of beautiful countryside, and we are going to join others on a march and tell them, NO!”
Ok I thought, slightly non-plussed and got on the coach with about 50 others heading due south to a place I had never heard of before, but a place that would be etched into my consciousness for ever. After a journey of about 5 hours we arrived at our destination and I will never forget the sight I was met with. A police helicopter hovered in the air, whilst what looked like thousands of police gathered nearby, some in riot gear. My mum looked nervous, obviously not expecting this kind of hostile reception, I however was quite excited!
We joined the march with about 5,000 others carrying placards and banners, chanting and singing, a nice man gave me a whistle and we set off making as much noise as possible. After a while the march entered a woodland and hush descended across the crowd. This was a beautiful wood, carpeted with the first bluebells of spring and the last snowdrops of winter, birds were happily singing in the huge oak and ash trees. This was a special place. My mum told me that they were on the verge of bulldozing it to build a trunk road so people could save a few minutes off their journeys. I could not believe what she was saying, that this amazing area of countryside was directly under threat. As we continued the march through the woodland I saw something that I will never forget. In the tree canopy there were about 50 treehouses, skilfully built out of pallets and plywood, all interlinked with ladders and ropes. It was an amazing scene and a wave of cheering moved across the assembled crowd in support. I was amazed to see these activists making such a dedicated stand to protect this area of countryside, giving up so much to protect our natural heritage. These people were truly inspirational and I joined the rest of the crowd in shouting our approval to the tree tops!
The march ended peacefully and we boarded our coach back home. I was feeling such a mix of emotions. I was angry that this area of countryside was under such a grave threat of destruction but I was also so enthused by the passion and commitment of the protestors to try and save this special place. As soon as I got home, I wrote to my MP. After waiting over 4 weeks for a reply that never came, I went and knocked on his door as he lived in the same village as me. He looked surprised but quite impressed to see a 15 year old on his doorstep asking him why he had not responded to a letter about the Newbury Bypass. He promised me he would write to the Transport Secretary as soon as possible. In the months and years after this protest I felt emancipated and proud to stand up for the environment amongst my peers, when before I had not.
The rest is history. Devastatingly the Newbury Bypass was built and the beautiful wood was bulldozed. This battle was lost, but the war was won as the government scrapped their huge road building schemes for other special places amongst our countryside, performing a U-Turn on many more planned roads. This protest is also regularly cited as the spark that created a whole new environmental movement in the late nineties and early noughties. It certainly did with me, and since then I have not looked back. I went on to University to study Environmental Conservation and regularly volunteered and campaigned for various environmental organisations. I now find myself working as a campaigner for one of Europe’s largest Environmental Charities, standing up against environmental injustice and holding politicians accountable for their actions, mobilising and enabling others to really make a difference. It’s funny how things turn out, what would have happened if my mum didn’t drag me out of bed that rainy February morning? Hindsight is a wonderful thing but thanks anyway Mum!!
By Martin Abrams, RSPB Parliamentary Campaign Officer Photo: Martin at The Wave, SCC event
Thanks Lauren. I remember that Body Shop Campaign as well. It's been really interesting watching the Attenborough - '60 Years in the Wild' programme on the BBC recently to see first hand how things and mindsets have changed about the Natural World in the last 60 years. When Sir David started his career he knew nothing about extinctions and the perils facing many species of flora and fauna, it was through spending time with Sir Peter Scott who founded the WWT and WWF that he realised that plants and animals could become totally extinct. The rest is history and he has thrilled us and inspired countless generations of conservationists over the last 60 years. Along with my Mum and Dad, Sir David Attenborough is amongst my greatest living heroes!
It's just really interesting how different people, organisations or campaigns can inspire us to make a positive change, and it’s vital for me as a campaigner to know what can motivate people to take action and stand up for something they truly believe in!
I’ve had a think about this and I think part of what inspired me into caring about conservation or at least got it onto my radar when I was younger (I’m talking 5 or 6 years old) was actually another campaign - or perhaps some clever marketing depending on how you look at it...
As a kid I loved anything ‘animal’ (still do) I don’t know where it came from but ever since I can consciously remember that was what interested me. So when the Body Shop’s Extinct Is Forever brand/campaign came about with its hand drawn animals on brightly coloured backgrounds I got interested. I asked my parents questions about what this meant and found out more about it, then I got the badges, I got the conservation filofax (not many children know what an Okapi is) – I literally got the t-shirt (front read: ‘now you see us...’, the back ‘...soon you won’t’).
Maybe it was just a clever marketing opportunity but that sold ‘saving animals’ to me, and of course you need to save habitats to do that. This might be for a different discussion but it just shows how good campaigns and brands can inspire people including (and perhaps especially) the younger generation.
If anyone is happy to share it would be great to hear any stories of how they got involved in the Environmental movement. Was it an environmental injustice like Newbury Bypass or was it a parent or teacher nurturing interest in the natural world or conservation, would love to hear your story!