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Read in: EnglishCymraeg
Go behind the scenes with our Policy and Advocacy Intern Aimee Seager as she tells us about her role and explores the journey she took to get into conservation.
As I look back on what I have done in my internship to date one key moment stands out to me: walking through Edinburgh towards one specific building. Which building? The Scottish Parliament Building to talk to Members of Scottish Parliament about a nature-related Bill I had coordinated Plantlife’s response for. It was my first time in Edinburgh, my first time in parliament and my first time talking to a member of parliament. I went through the airport-style security equal parts nervous and excited. I sat down with my colleagues in the parliament café with my hand-written notes in front of me ready to plan and was struck with the realisation that I was about to do some real advocacy. This is what I had wanted to do for so long. I just remember thinking ‘how did I end up here?
A lot of conservation jobs are focused on the ecological and practical aspects of this sector. Whilst I am no stranger to getting knee deep in the hands-on side of things, I knew that I wanted to try out taking my career down a different avenue. As many people will know who are in the conservation sector, that is a lot easier said than done.
I knew that I wanted to get into the policy and advocacy space. In a previous role I had been exposed to what policy work could look like and although it was not part of my job then, it made me realise that I wanted to have a go. How could being directly involved in action for nature not sound appealing? However, for someone just beginning their career, it seemed like quite an elusive and somewhat unreachable option.
My early-career journey before joining Plantlife was neither plant-based or policy related. A good start, I know. Upon finishing my Masters in Conservation Biology I landed my first internship assessing the impact of an international trade-related project. I learnt a huge amount about commodity trade, assessing project impact and working in a project environment. Following this, my next role was a short-term contract as a Research Assistant at a Spanish Research Institute. So, for the next few months I lived in Seville and went all-in on the impacts of linear infrastructure (i.e. roads, railways) on biodiversity.
Like (almost) every early-career starter in conservation, I used volunteering to boost my skills and experience. Neither of my prior two roles are directly related to policy or advocacy, despite me knowing this is something I wanted to try out. Instead, I looked for a part-time volunteer role to try and fill this curiosity gap of mine. It must have been fate or something similar because the first time I looked online for roles after this decision, I saw a volunteer role at Plantlife. I applied, was successful, and started volunteering with Plantlife as a Political Advocacy Volunteer. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Roughly six months into my volunteering, and towards the end of my time in Spain, the Policy and Advocacy Intern role was posted. I applied, interviewed twice, completed a task and was ultimately successful.
What does policy and advocacy work look like for a conservation charity? Is it more than just talking to politicians and criticising government policies for harming nature? These are questions I asked myself as I tried to work out what my internship might entail over the Christmas before I started.
What I have come to learn is that the policy and advocacy space is quite multifaceted. Working as part of the Policy and Advocacy Team to support, plan and deliver on our work across Plantlife’s focus areas has led me to work in a variety of areas. My role is a fun mixture of everything from building relationships, event organisation, communications, research, project planning, campaign action and policy consultations and advocating to politicians. I have been lucky enough to attend a mass lobby in Westminster to talk to my MP about the importance of nature, specifically the need for a Grasslands Action Plan and legislation to ban peat sales. I also got to visit Scottish Parliament to talk to MSPs (Members of Scottish Parliament) about the Natural Environment Bill going through the Scottish Parliament at the moment.
If you’re interested in finding out more about a career at Plantlife, keep an eye on our Careers page for the latest opportunities.
I have really enjoyed seeing my work contributing to the political advocacy space for nature conservation. Despite my previous jobs not being directly related to policy, advocacy or plants and fungi, I still found them useful in working in this space. Working for the conservation and protection of nature, especially plants and fungi which are often overlooked, has been incredibly insightful.
I have found internships to be a great way to get into the conservation field and try out different aspects of it. They give me the opportunity to develop both in my career, and personally. I am the third person to fill this year-long internship role, and I feel lucky to work at an organisation like Plantlife that cares and caters to my development and the development of others in their early career. I’m also grateful to Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for funding these internships, as being able to get experience in the policy and advocacy space in my early career has been so eye opening. I feel much more confident in my work, and I am sure this opportunity will be useful in what I do next.
Growers, NGOs, environmentalists and the public stand together urging the government to act to stop the destruction of peatlands
From citizen science, to volunteering and from making space for nature to forging a deeper connection with it – conservation is for everyone.
Every year more reports are released calling for action to restore nature, or risk losing it.
But what are we doing to speak up for our wild plants and fungi, and how can you join us on our mission to protect nature?
The landmark State of Nature report is a stark call to action, published by the RSPB. The headlines are alarming, with species populations in decline, species communities changing and extinction rates increasing. The report makes it clear that to protect our wildlife we need cohesion and mobilisation of all sectors of society.
Against this backdrop, and under the weight of responsibility to the environment, communities are now rallying together to ask for change. From small online actions such as signing petitions at home, to organising rallies in our capital, such as the Restore Nature Now demo organised by Chris Packham and his team in September 2023.
That’s what we asked ourselves when we were invited to join the Restore Nature Now rally.
Plantlife hasn’t traditionally taken much of an active stance as an organisation, but amidst the list of NGOs who would be attending, there was a stark absence of anybody to fly the flag for our flora and funga.
We recognise our own responsibility to step up for the plants and planet we love.
Plantlife advocated for the need for plants and fungi to be prioritised and valued at all scales, from landscape management planning right up to government decision making.
We emphasised that our species need us now, that they are the fundamental building blocks of biodiversity, and we simply can’t afford to lose them.
We attended alongside over 40 organisations, enlisting the help of community art groups to help up visualise our mission into a banner and meeting with supporters who had responded to our call to action.
Banner making at a local community group in Cardiff
The loss of our plants and fungi is a political issue in that it affects every one of us, and is beyond party politics. Despite the central role they play in biodiversity support and carbon storage, plants and fungi are still overlooked and undervalued by decisionmakers.
Here’s some ways you can ask for change:
The atmosphere at Restore Nature Now at DEFRA was exciting and energising, with talks, speeches, poems, songs and readings from scientists, artists and all kinds of empowered nature-lovers. Most organised events are inclusive, positive, safe and legal. It is awe-inspiring to hear people’s stories, hopes and visions. Look out for events shared by local groups and charities.
Regardless of which species or habitats we advocate for, each is interconnected and interdependent on each other. Like the formation or start of a whole new ecosystem, we need to make connections and have conversations with people beyond our organisations and groups. We need new friends and allies, people with a shared vision for change.
The money that supports us doesn’t just save wild plants through practical action for our most at-risk habitats and landscapes. It also fuels our passionate team of wild plant and fungi advocates to demand change at all levels, from local action to national governments. We can’t do this without you.
Want to support our work? However you choose to support, you will be helping to champion wild plants and fungi, helping us to protect nature, tackle the impacts of climate change and support people and communities.
Nature turns into a full winter wonderland in the colder months – here are some ideas of how you can get out there and enjoy it!
Join us to delve into the secrets of creating a bright, blooming, buzzing lawn, from when to sow, to how to prep the land.
Lizzie Wilberforce
Britain’s waxcap grasslands are considered to be some of the best in Europe.
Discover the pressures these colourful fungi and their habitats face, and how you can take action to protect them for the future.
The autumn spectacle of multicoloured waxcaps is an important indicator of ancient grasslands that have been unploughed for decades, and which are rich in carbon and soil biodiversity.
Unfortunately, many of these irreplaceable grassland fungi sites continue to disappear under tree planting, new houses, intensive farming, transport infrastructure and more. It is certain that many more are also lost unseen, because of a series of interlinked issues that place the conservation of fungi far behind that of other taxa like mammals and birds.
The first, and perhaps most important, is the shortage of skilled field surveyors able to identify and record fungi (known as mycologists). Fortunately, there does seem to be an increasing interest in fungi amongst the public. The 1,500 members of Plantlife’s #WaxcapWatch Facebook page is a reflection of this, and is very encouraging.
However, the number of people working professionally as field surveyors remains very low. Most ecological consultancies, who undertake survey work to protect wildlife during development, don’t employ mycologists.
This lack of expert recorders and recording means that we still have very little data describing the distribution of fungal species across large parts of the country, especially compared to other taxa.
There is huge pressure on land use today. We need land for farming, for tree planting, for renewable power generation, for housing: the list goes on. Our ability to deliver nature’s recovery depends on us making good decisions when planning these activities. That in turn ensures that nature is protected, and actually restored, in line with government targets and policies.
However, picture this: plans are afoot to build a large new housing estate on formerly sheep-grazed agricultural land. Ecological surveys are required. However, a search of databases doesn’t reveal any fungal records, because no field mycologists have ever visited the land.
The ecological consultancy visits the site in summer, because that’s when plants, birds and mammals are best surveyed. They don’t employ a mycologist. The plants in the fields aren’t that interesting- and so the proposal gets the go ahead. In fact, the fields are incredibly rich in waxcaps, but nobody knows, and nobody looks. The site is lost without ever being recognised for its biodiversity.
This is a very real problem that Plantlife is currently observing in multiple cases across Wales at present. Fungal surveys are difficult to do, and often considered unreasonably burdensome for developers, even for large projects. As a result, we are losing precious ancient grasslands before we’ve even been able to recognise them for what they are. You can’t compensate for an impact on something you never knew was there.
It’s also likely to be an increasing problem in the coming years with large infrastructure projects being planned. For example, in Wales there is a huge amount of work scheduled to reinforce our electricity supply grid, with new cabling going in across the country. Julie James MS, the Minister for Climate Change in Wales, said in 2023 the presumption will be that new cables will be underground, to reduce the visual impact. Will the impact on fungi be adequately identified and mitigated? At present, that seems unlikely.
All is not lost, and there are many things we can do to address this problem.
The fight is not over, and it’s not lost, so join us in our efforts to get ancient waxcap grasslands recognised and better protected for the future.
Protect grassland fungi by taking part in the #WaxcapWatch
It’s not just trees that capture and store carbon – our meadows and grasslands can play an important role too.
As the UK’s new government ministers settle into their new departments, we are calling for action to preserve and restore nature for wildlife, people and the climate.
Agricultural grasslands dominate Wales’ rural landscape. Finding ways to restore species-rich habitats to farms is a priority for Plantlife Cymru.
Many of our upland and lowland landscapes in Wales are dominated by green fields. In fact, 83% of our farmed landscape is managed as permanent grassland or for rough grazing. Our future agri-environment schemes will be a vital part of paving the way to restoring these landscapes. As a result, Plantlife have been working hard on our response to the Welsh Agricultural Bill and the Sustainable Farming Scheme Proposals for 2025.
Permanent grasslands (those not regularly ploughed or reseeded) are often overlooked in climate change mitigation. However, they are a key nature-based solution to the challenges we face. One reason they get so overlooked is a lack of collective knowledge about grassland soil carbon. They are also side-lined by an emphasis on tree planting and peatland restoration in policy. Effective management of permanent grassland is at the heart of Wales’ livestock production and the wider farming economy. We need it to be at the heart of addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis as well.
Grasslands are incredible habitats, which can sequester and store carbon, and improve biodiversity. They provide natural flood defences, enhance our health and wellbeing, lock up pollutants. Importantly, they also sustain an irreplaceable part of Wales’ cultural heritage.
At Plantlife, we would like to see greater recognition for the multiple benefits these grasslands can provide. We are asking Government to support farmers and land managers to adapt their farming practices. Also, for the government to assist farms to restore and maintain species-rich grassland. Unfortunately, in the past, grassland restoration has seen lower payment rates compared to, for example, the support for arable farms. The new scheme needs to be economically viable for all farmers to enter. It will be important that there is good advice for farmers and land managers to access, apply and manage these schemes.
The view across Cae Blaen-dyffryn nature reserve, and the surrounding landscape. © Chris Harris – Plantlife
As well as putting pressure on Welsh Government to do the best it can for our farmed environment, we are also working towards restoring agricultural grasslands ourselves.
Hywel Morgan has recently joined the Plantlife Cymru team as our Agricultural Advisor. He will be working in the landscape around our Cae Blaen-dyffryn nature reserve, near Lampeter. He is speaking to local farmers and seeking to understand where the most mutually beneficial and sustainable actions for grassland conservation lie.
We hope that over time, we can work a lot more with this farming community. Plantlife will be seeking funds for the grassland restoration based on opportunities we identify. Hywel’s brings personal knowledge of farming and will gain local insight from speaking to the farming community. This will help us to advocate for grassland restoration solutions that have the best chance of success.
Hywel Morgan is Agricultural Advisor (Wales) at Plantlife Cymru
Stay tuned to our blog and sign up to our newsletter; Hywel might share his insight what he learnt from talking to the local farming community.
You can contact the Wales team about our work with Welsh agriculture
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