It’s a sad fact that once we as humans decide nature is no longer useful to us, we stop caring for and protecting it….
To encourage people to care for nature, it’s crucial to demonstrate the tangible benefits that nature provides to individuals and communities. A clear demonstration of how nature is ‘useful’ in everyday life and beyond is needed.
Here are some strategies to make nature more useful and to help us to foster a greater sense of responsibility towards it:
Highlight Ecosystem Services:
- Educational Campaigns: Creating public awareness campaigns that emphasize the various services ecosystems provide, such as clean air, water purification, pollination, and climate regulation. In the UK we have many organisations who create a wealth of educational campaigns, National Trust, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, The Woodland Trust, WWF, Greenpeace UK, Black2Nature, Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), The Rivers Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, League Against Cruel Sports, SOS-UK, RSPCA, ARC Trust, the Mammal Society, Keep Britain Tidy, Campaign for National Parks, Flood Plain Meadows Partnership, the River Restoration Centre, People’s Trust for Endangered Species, Black Environment Network, Surfers Against Sewage, Four Paws UK, Rewilding Britain, The Badger Trust, The British Mountaineering Council, Marine Conservation Society, Wild Justice, John Muir Trust, Forest Stewardship Council UK, Green Alliance, Wildlife Gardening Forum, Open Spaces Society, CPRE The Countryside Charity. The list is potentially endless, but each and every single one opens a door to allow people to get to know a little bit more about the nature they are surrounded by.
- Economic Value: Showcasing the economic value of natural resources and ecosystems, demonstrating their contribution to livelihoods, agriculture, and industry. This is done, again by a large number of organisations, but also some of these economic value items need further awareness for example who is the company behind them, what is their agenda.
Recreation and Well-being:
- Promote Outdoor Activities: Encouraging recreational activities in natural settings, such as hiking, camping, and bird watching. This fosters a connection between people and the environment through immersion in said environments.
- Nature Therapy: Highlighting the mental and physical health benefits of spending time in nature. Through campaigns such as the 5 Ways to Wellbeing nature is promoted as a natural stress reliever and elements of social prescribing now recognises the power of the natural environment in healing, both following physical procedures and also in the realms of mental health.
Urban Green Spaces:
- Create Green Infrastructure: Developing and maintain green spaces within urban areas, providing residents with accessible and enjoyable natural environments. Everyone needs access to green space. If the 2020 pandemic showed us anything it was that time outside is vitally important to everyone’s overall health and wellbeing.
- Community Gardens: Support community gardens and urban agriculture projects to connect people with the process of growing food and the importance of biodiversity. By teaching people where their food comes from and how to cook with it, connects people to the food chain as a whole and reduces reliance on Ultra-Processed Foods, which as shown by the book Ultra-Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken has far reaching often negative effects on human health that we are still finding out the consequences of.
Local and Sustainable Agriculture:
- Farmers Markets: Encourage and support local farmers’ markets, connecting consumers with locally grown, sustainable produce. Not only Farmers Markets, but actually being able to support individual farms local to you. To choose how animals are reared, treated etc before they are the food on your table. Having the choice to align your buying with your ethical stand points.
- Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA): Promote CSA programs, where community members subscribe to receive regular shares of a local farmer’s produce.
Ecotourism and Nature-Based Tourism:
- Develop Sustainable Tourism: Encourage eco-friendly tourism practices that contribute to local economies while raising awareness about the importance of preserving natural habitats.
- Cultural Experiences: Showcase the cultural and historical significance of natural areas to attract tourism and foster appreciation for the environment. Something I feel that is done well here in Wales with the National parks, with the Show caves of Wales, with the castles and wetlands, beaches and so many more things, but there is always scope for improvement!
Green Jobs and Sustainable Businesses:
- Promote Green Industries: Support the development of businesses that prioritize sustainability, creating green jobs and contributing to environmental conservation.
- Ecological Restoration Projects: Engage local communities in ecological restoration projects, providing employment opportunities while restoring degraded ecosystems.
Incentives for Conservation:
- Financial Incentives: Introduce financial incentives for landowners who engage in conservation practices, such as reforestation, habitat preservation, or sustainable land use. This area is always fraught, as shown by the length of time taken to redo the Welsh systems for farmers post Brexit and again there are always lots of lengthy discussions to have and improvements to be made.
- Tax Credits: Provide tax credits or other financial benefits for businesses that adopt environmentally friendly practices.
Technology and Innovation:
- Citizen Science: Involve the public in scientific research and monitoring efforts, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for local ecosystems.
- Green Technologies: Promote the development and adoption of technologies that support environmental conservation and sustainability.
Education and Outreach:
- Curriculum Integration: Incorporating environmental education into school curricula to instil a sense of responsibility and understanding of the importance of nature from a young age. This I obviously feel very strongly about and would like schools and educators to have the option of looking to local areas more and more in depth to foster that immediate sense of connection for the children in their care. what birds live in their gardens, what awesome moments can they experience on their doorsteps? Growing their own food is always a great place to go, as the old adage says one of the most radical and revolutionary things you can do is grow your own food and eat from the land.
- Public Lectures and Workshops: Hosting events, lectures, and workshops to educate the public about the value of nature and the impact of human activities on the environment.
Community Engagement:
- Local Decision-Making: Involving communities in decision-making processes related to land use, conservation, and resource management to ensure their voices are heard.
- Volunteer Opportunities: Creating opportunities for people to actively participate in conservation efforts through volunteering, fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their natural surroundings. This is vitally important for our environment, as without the beach cleans for example started by Surfers Against Sewage or Keep Wales Tidy Campaigns etc our environment would be swimming in more rubbish than it is now. However, volunteer roles are just the tip of the iceberg, joined up thinking puts financial incentives for businesses highly in this area also as by making the businesses responsible for the potential litter they create would have even greater impacts! (Turning the Tide on Plastic Lucy Siegle)
By emphasizing the practical benefits and intrinsic value of nature, coupled with engaging and empowering communities, individuals are more likely to care for and actively contribute to the preservation of the environment.