Are young people really disassociated with nature?

Amazingly, almost everyone asked sent me at least one photo. And not only photos, some offered personal stories about their interactions with nature too! I collected these together, and celebrated them on my social media pages. My Headteacher has welcomed the idea of having a 'Green Gallery' within the school, and I am currently talking to the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust about displaying the photos at one of their reserves. I hope to spread the project further, to encourage more young people to notice nature.

So what does this mean? Perhaps young people aren’t as dissociated from nature as we think. Is it wrong to tar all young people with the stereotypical ‘disengaged’ brush? Maybe a lot of young people have an interest in nature, they just have no way of expressing it.

In my school there was certainly no way of developing or sharing an interest in nature before my project. During the transition from primary to secondary, I left behind the eco club I had established, Forest School, nature area and outdoor time. I actually almost lost my own interest in nature as all exposure was stripped away from my daily life - I had an increased workload, and spent more time socialising. I was only able to rekindle my interest during lockdown.

It is no surprise that young people who cannot pursue an interest in nature outside of school become disconnected. I believe there are many barriers - for example, young people may not be able to afford memberships to organisations like the BTO, RSPB and The Wildlife Trusts. They may not have transport to visit reserves or to participate in volunteering opportunities. They may not have family who are supportive of their interest. An individual may feel isolated in their interest and find the nature community inaccessible.

This is where I believe the Natural History GCSE will be most valuable. The GCSE will take nature into schools across the country, providing young people with the opportunity to reignite and explore their interest in nature. It will put nature on the map, normalising it as an interest and encouraging more young people to aim for a career in conservation. It will lead to a large portion of people being knowledgeable about their local wildlife, the environment and the climate, who collectively can make a huge difference.

Overall, I think that the Natural History GCSE will be an incredible step forward for youth engagement with nature. It is not the sole answer to the dilemma of engaging young people in conservation, however it will be instrumental in providing for those who otherwise may have no access to learning about nature, meeting other like-minded pupils and encountering all the wonderful experiences an interest in nature has to offer.

Emily Hunt

Emily Hunt is a 16 year old nature enthusiast and writer living in South Warwickshire, where she is currently studying for her GCSEs. She is very passionate about youth engagement with nature and enjoys sharing her love of nature through her writing and photography. She is a multi-award winning young poet, currently holding the title of Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate. She is also a Youth Councillor for Reserva: The Youth Land Trust and has had several articles published in nature magazines.

Find her on:

  Instagram: @em_loves_nature_

  Twitter: @em_nature

  Emily Hunt's Nature Blog