Permission to Feel Passion: Breaking the Barriers to Conservation
Who can be a conservationist? Kirsty talks about the importance of challenging stereotypes about working in conservation and how her experiences have led her and her friend to launch the inclusive platform, & Another Thing.
Illustrated by Laura Cuppage.
Imagine being asked to introduce yourself on the first day at a new university. After you explain a bit about your background and aspirations, the first thing you are quietly asked is:
‘No offence, but why are you here?’
This was on the first day of a MSc course in Wildlife Biology and Conservation. At the time, this reaction immediately played on an underlying suspicion that I know now has followed me almost my entire life. A feeling of being slightly on the outside, of liking the wrong thing, of not doing things in the proper order.
I didn’t come to conservation through the normal routes. I studied creative writing and journalism, worked in a theatre and moved to London for a diploma in performing arts. I trained in dance every day, I taught classes, tutored pupils in English, booked jobs on music videos, on TV, I was a hair model, worked in a ping-pong bar, and handed out flyers at 6am to commuters. I was never fully happy.
Cutting down a long story, an internship at the BBC Natural History Unit and a career change at ZSL London Zoo followed, and then the application to university. Whatever my reasons were to study conservation, in my own time, it became clear that the more I allowed myself to head off on solo wildlife adventures, the calmer I became. I found so much peace, solace, excitement and inspiration in nature that there was no point trying to keep it to myself. Yet on the opposite side, the decision to shift from performing to science was met with a total inability to understand why anyone would make that switch.
In December of last year, the 2020 Climate Ambition Summit was held online, marking the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement on climate change. This was a major step on the road to the next UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), due to be hosted in November in Glasgow. The Summit was an opportunity for around 70 global leaders to showcase their commitments to tackling climate change and reaching the goal of net-zero emissions. It was during this showcasing event that Boris Johnson used his platform to lay out the UK’s green environmental targets, prefacing his ambitions with the words:
‘We are doing this not because we are tree-hugging, mung bean-munching, eco freaks, although I’ve got nothing against any of those categories, but…because we know that scientific advances will allow us, collectively as humanity to save our planet and create millions of high-skilled jobs.’
It seems almost unthinkable that our prime minister would choose this time, to air on a world stage, a list of cliched nonsense about environmentalists. Almost unthinkable, and yet playing into a tired and deeply embedded prejudice which seems to strike the world over. A Toronto research team led by psychologist Nadia Bashir found, in several different studies of US citizens, that participants held strongly negative stereotypes about environmentalists. The most frequently mentioned traits included ‘treehugger’ and ‘hippie’. Do these social caricatures prevent progress even among audiences who generally agree with nature-based goals? As the research team concludes, we seem to have an image problem playing ‘a key role in creating resistance to social change.’
A deep love of nature and an interest in the environment should not squeeze the entire character of a person into a box. We should be doing everything we can to foster positive connections to nature in any individual. There are great things to come on the horizon, with the campaign for a Nature Premium. Similar to the Sports Premium, designed to improve the quality of sport provision in England and allow pupils the benefits of regular exercise, the Nature Premium would fund nature experiences for early years and school children. Periods of lockdown have already highlighted unequal access to nature and the outdoors. The Nature Premium initiative would not only improve children’s mental and physical wellbeing but demonstrate a positive investment in their development as part of the Green Recovery.
Investment in the younger generation, exposure to the natural world and a culture of normalising environmental care, is a great place to begin. There is an expected increase in ‘green’ jobs and funded programmes in the years ahead, including an extra £111 million for traineeships in England for 16–24-year olds.
As positive as these steps are, it’s important to remember that something does not have to be inside the accepted framework of a job role or a career to be considered valuable. Even loosely hidden in Johnson’s Climate Summit comments is an attempt to create distance between ‘eco-freaks’ and ‘scientific advances’. Passion versus profession. Grassroots campaigning, collective action, brilliant and informative blogs and podcasts are all crucial, as are, of course, the many professional opportunities being created.
However, in a culture where external validation still plays into the collective psyche, there is more to be done to open access to environmentalism for all. Nature conservation without qualification is still valid conservation. It does feel slightly dangerous that those who could help to solve some of our most prevalent ecological issues can, at times, be viewed through such a polarising lens.
Illustrated by Laura Cuppage.
Environmental stereotypes are spilling into many areas of our lives. A 2016 study by the Journal of Consumer Research found environmentalism to be associated with caring and nurturing behaviours, and to generally be seen as a feminine trait. In 2017, a study from the School of Psychology at Deakin University found that environmentalists were seen as actively involved in bringing about positive change, yet also viewed as aggressive in their behaviour and stubborn in their beliefs. The study also found implications for why some people may choose not to identify as an environmentalist in the first instance (or keep this identity hidden). Similarly, despite vast experiences of environmental racism, and expertise campaigning for social and environmental justice, people of colour are still disproportionately missing from the conservation landscape.
In the lead up to COP26, the UK will play a crucial role in climate solutions. This is the time to highlight our role models. Holly Gillibrand, the 15 year old Scottish activist and writer, is leading the way, winning Young Scotswoman of the Year and being one of the most prominent UK figures in the Fridays For Future school strikes. Mya Rose Craig (Bird Girl) fights for equal access to nature and has been powerfully campaigning for greater diversity in conservation, often perceived as ‘white and elitist’.
After speaking with many students, graduates, early-career conservationists and people simply invested in environmental change, I decided to create a space which I felt had been missing. Together with my friend and former colleague Laura, we set up a new community platform, hosting events and workshops. We aim to provide a welcoming space for environmental issues, and for those who are looking to connect with people but might not know where to begin. Our platform, ‘& Another Thing’, was created out of hundreds of conversations with friends that inevitably ended with the words 'oh and another thing'. There was always more to be said. Laura and I worked together at ZSL London Zoo and we have, at certain points, experienced a feeling of being on the fringe of the area we are so passionate about, not quite sure where to fit in.
& Another Thing is a platform for those that are looking to connect with other conservationists or those interested in conservation.
We have a focus on conservation issues, career changers, those looking for a place to network without having to have their ‘network’ face on. While trying to empower and understand the issues of those studying, working in or wishing to transition to conservation-related fields, we are opening up the conversation to offer personal development, discussions and workshops on a range of issues.
One thing which has become clear with each event and new audience, is that some of us seem to be waiting for an unanimous ‘nod’ in the right direction, a cue that whatever environmental passion we have is acceptable. We do not need permission to share our passions and projects. Enthusiasm for nature and the environment is not something to be hidden. Equally, we do not need to wait for validation to switch careers, to begin volunteering time in conservation efforts, to start a blog, to begin campaigning, to petition, to fundraise, or to have our voices heard.
We seek to speak, share and solve, covering topics in length such as women and diversity in conservation, the decision to attend university, inequality in volunteering and resilience for environmentalists. We aim to give time and a listening ear to any topic which the community feels is relevant and try to dispel the notion that environmental groups are closed networks.
Find out more on our website here and join our ever-growing community on Instagram @andanotherplace.
Kirsty Crawford
Kirsty lives in Glasgow and works for environmental charity The Conservation Volunteers as their Citizen Science Projects Officer. Previously a Journalism and Creative Writing graduate, she went on to gain an MSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation. After a varied career path, she set up the online conservation platform '& Another Thing', providing a welcoming space for environmental issues and those working in the sector.
You can find her on Instagram @wildscotplace.