This Is All Nature 

Participants helping to plant a pollinator park.

Nature is often talked about as if it is separate from us. Separate from our lives and our livelihoods. Something to be treasured, perhaps, but not something that underpins our very existence – and certainly not something we are ourselves part of. As Rory Crawford, children’s TV presenter and leader of the Nature Neighbourhoods programme so eloquently put it in a recent Carbon Copy Podcast episode:  

“Nature’s not a ‘nice to have.’ And it’s not just the magic, it’s not just the John Clare poetry world of nature. It’s also fundamental to our existence. We are nature. It is clean air, it is food, it is water.” 

So, let’s delve into that a little. On Carbon Copy, we have shared over 500 stories from amazing people and organisations that relate to nature, food and agriculture. From initiatives helping to save the bees, to incredible projects using seagrass to protect coastal landscapes and capture carbon, to urban gardening groups helping to engage different communities with growing food – there’s something here for everyone! This is all nature; so please join in the action for nature and be a part of it, wherever you live in the UK. 

Discover your favourite nature-related story. 

Learn about wildlife and save the bees! 

Pollinators are insects, birds and other animals that help to fertilise plants by moving pollen from one plant to another. They’re vital to ecosystems everywhere – not least because without them crops will fail, and food will become scarcer. In recent times there have been many reports about the decline of pollinators. There are many reasons for this decline, many of which relate to our changing climate. Luckily, there are solutions, and people are taking steps in their communities to support wildlife and to save the bees and other vital species. 

For example, in the North East of England, small patches of land around retail parks are being planted with insect-friendly wildflowers to attract more pollinators to these concrete-heavy suburban spaces. 

Further north in Angus, Scotland, the BeeWild for Pollinators initiative is helping communities to learn more about protecting nature, encouraging a reduction in chemical usage and mowing to help insects and other invertebrates to thrive. And in South West England, Bath and North East Somerset Council has developed a “Let’s Get Buzzing” Action Plan, with an aim to make 30% of the green spaces it owns wildlife friendly by 2030. 

Rewild and restore nature 

Of course, it’s not just our food systems that rely on the delicate balance of nature. Trees and plants provide us with the oxygen we breathe, they provide shade and help to protect the soil from extreme heat and erosion, and they help with drainage, reducing the risk of flooding. So much of the land in the UK has been built on, covered with concrete or tarmac or stripped and flattened for agriculture. Of course, we need to grow food, and we need places to live, but with these actions we have made ourselves even more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. 

One solution is rewilding. This can be on a large or a small scale, in cities, towns or in the countryside; and the aim is to restore natural ecosystems and processes, reducing the influence of human activity on sites. 

In West Norfolk, Wild Ken Hill is a rewilding and regenerative farming project, aiming to tackle the climate and ecological crises, restoring nature alongside growing healthy food and protecting soil. 

In Barry, South Wales, an old pitch and putt golf course is being rewilded by a consortium of organisations including the local council and Welsh Water; and in Leicestershire the local wildlife trust is doing extensive work to bring back more native plants, animals and natural habitats to the Soar Valley. 

Tackle ocean pollution and protect coastal areas 

The sea and the shorelines are also part of the natural world. Surrounded as we are in Britain and Ireland, by water, the protection of coastal areas and tackling ocean pollution is of great importance. Additionally, nature itself actually offers us protection from the sea, and species such as seagrass are amazing carbon absorbers – helping to prevent further climate breakdown. 

In Pembrokeshire, Wales, Car-y-Mor is an ocean farming initiative, growing a mix of seaweeds and shellfish without the need for fertiliser, pesticides, or freshwater. The project produces food from the sea in a sustainable way, whilst sequestering carbon and helping to rebuild reef ecosystems. 

In Northern Ireland, Ulster Wildlife Trust is helping to reintroduce native oysters – previously considered locally extinct – to Belfast Lough by creating 24 oyster nurseries in Bangor Marina. Oysters are filter feeders and can dramatically improve water quality, meaning their presence is not only good for biodiversity, it helps clean the sea too! 

In North East England, the Stronger Shores project is also working with oysters, as well as seagrass and kelp, to pilot marine-based solutions for coastal protection along the coastline; and in Brighton, the local community has come together to protect marine life and reduce ocean pollution through Leave No Trace Brighton. 

Bring nature to towns and cities with urban gardening 

Even the most built-up areas of the country have patches of green. It might not be much, but every puddle, every verge, every crumbling wall has the potential for life. There are communities all over the UK who have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into preserving, expanding and nurturing these pockets of biodiversity, and urban gardening – as well as food-growing – is helping to connect people and improve health and wellbeing. 

In Cardiff, the Global Gardens Project is nurturing intercultural and intergenerational communication and nature-based connection through organic growing, cooking and sustainable arts and crafts.  

Manchester Urban Diggers’ Stronger Roots programme brings together refugees and asylum seekers for weekly sessions: providing a platform for celebrating diverse cultures, their culinary traditions, and the art of cultivating food together. 

In the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Seeds For Growth is transforming unloved patches of Housing Association land into spaces for nature and growing with their Greening Communities programme; and in Sheffield, Heeley City Farm, built 40 years ago on a brownfield site, offers everyone free access to space to learn about the environment and animals. 

We are all nature 

Across the country, people of all backgrounds and life situations are finding ways to connect with nature and to feel part of it. Wherever you live, there are enjoyable and rewarding opportunities for you to protect, support and enjoy the natural world. We are all nature, and by helping to regenerate the nature around you, we can all benefit. 

Discover your favourite nature-related story.