Backyard Nature

Backyard Nature

There is a nature crisis in the UK. Plants and wildlife in our own backyards are under serious threat – a massive 40% of the UK’s species are in steep decline.  At the same time children are spending less time enjoying nature, meaning they are less likely to care about and protect it.

4.1 million children are living in poverty, and 3 million of them have working parents so their families are also time poor. While mums and dads are concerned for their future, 1.6 million kids never even get to the local park.

Backyard Nature was a campaign waiting to happen. Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland Foods and a trustee of the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, was hearing from store colleagues, via their Talking Shop Reps, that they wanted to help young people protect nature where they live.

At the same time, Richard met a group of young environmentalists from All Saints Catholic Primary School in Anfield, Liverpool, who call themselves the ‘Eco Emeralds’. They presented Richard with their ideas and asked for his support to help young people like them become environmental activists.

Richard brought in Semble, the UK’s leading organisation for grassroots community projects, and the Backyard Nature campaign was born.

Together with Semble and a collective of charitable partners, the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation found a way to make the Eco Emeralds’ vision a reality and supported the launch of the Backyard Nature campaign.

Our goal is to get all children to spend more time enjoying and protecting nature where they live.

We are encouraging children (and their grown-ups) to become Backyard Nature Guardians and give them the tools they need to protect their own patch of nature – no matter how small. This could be at their home, in their estates, neighbourhoods or local green spaces.

These children can do something little and often to protect their patch, so that plants and wildlife can begin to thrive again. By tackling the nature crisis close to home, Backyard Nature Guardians will help protect the planet for the future.

Learn more about the campaign and become a Backyard Nature Guardian here.