Making an Environmental Impact

Making an environmental impact

The Happy Eco News article I will be talking about is how I have been able to help the environment, not only by myself but with some organisations and clubs I am/have been able to be a part of.

I can remember in secondary school, our school had an ‘Eco Club’ which was run by a very keen member of staff. When I saw this, I leapt at the opportunity to join in and help in any way I could. This was one of the best choices I had made. We were a club of like-minded, passionate enthusiasts who had a commitment to help the environment in our school and our local community.

Our motto was ‘Think Global, Act Local’, which we did! We managed to achieve lots of things during my 5 years in that club, from campaigning in school, running assemblies and short presentations, going litter picking, making and putting up bird and bat boxes, making a pond, and lots more! I am amazed at how much we managed to do, and I really do hope that the club continues to run like this, as I think it will make a massive difference.

Another achievement I would like to talk about is my being a Young Darwin Scholar of 2023. This is a scholarship which enables people to develop their nature skills and to meet like-minded people. This was a 1-week residential with a range of activities such as bird ringing, dragon and damselfly identification, walks and talks, and more! I found this useful as it made me appreciate the natural world even more; it allowed me to develop my identification skills in a specialized environment, and I got to meet and make lots of like-minded naturalists and friends.

By using what I have learned, I have managed to advocate for the environment in several ways, for example, in sixth form. I was featured in their newsletter, which talked about what I do and the ways you can help nature. I am happy I got the opportunity to get chosen for the scholarship and it has opened many doors for me. More recently, I have managed to do lots of good things environmentally. For example, I have started volunteering at a local primary school at a wildlife club and a gardening club; I have planted trees as part of a local club I am part of, and I have managed to go on environmental walks and bird watching several times a week.

Additionally, I was appointed to be the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) Youth Representative for Gloucestershire. This role is very important and close to me as it gives me an opportunity to introduce lots of people to nature in Gloucestershire, to advocate for people, and to work with an amazing community to help spread the word about birds and the environment. This role entails setting up and running events in Gloucestershire.

Something exciting that I am working on is my project called iEcosphere. This project was started by me in late 2023 and is due to officially launch in 2025. iEcosphere aims to help young naturalists to get into the environmental sector as well as learn about the different flora and fauna worldwide. We have also started working on a project called iEnvirons which aims to help people understand and to develop their knowledge about the earth’s biomes.

iEcosphere will include a number of things – programs for all of flora and fauna in the UK (starting from birds, moths, butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, fungi, bugs) and branching out into more; yearly, monthly and seasonal newsletters outlining what we have been up to and the good news stories of the world; blogs from guest writers outlining different achievements and different ways to get involved in nature; good news stories; a forum for people to talk about environmentally themed topics and lots more!

I think this project will be revolutionary to the way we see and understand the natural world, especially for beginners who look to get involved, as it will give them a foundation of knowledge. Looking into the future, I hope to branch this project worldwide, run lots of events in the UK and globally to do with environmental conservation and engagement and inspire lots of young people to get involved. If you would like to help fund/sponsor this project or to get involved, please contact me – at info.iecosphere@gmail.com.

Something else that would be good to talk about in this Happy Eco News article is some additional volunteering work I am doing. Currently, I do lots of volunteer work, but the most enjoyable for me is working with a local primary school and helping at their wildlife club. I enjoy this for many reasons.

First, it is good to know I am making a difference in my local area, especially with the younger generation. Secondly, it is also good to know I am passing on my knowledge to them in a fun and positive atmosphere – they can then pass this on to their peers and so on…a ripple effect is created. Most notably, helping means that they will have some knowledge so that when they go to secondary school, they can set up a club for like-minded naturalists and nature enthusiasts to develop and expand their knowledge. If you can, I highly encourage all of you to do some sort of volunteering because it can be a great way to learn more, help others and have a great time overall!!

Lastly, in the future, I plan to do all I can to help advocate for nature and to make sure more young people get involved in nature. I will be doing this in several ways. For example, social media posts and campaigns will help get the message out to people online. Also, I will also be launching a project I am working on called iEcosphere which will help new naturalists learn and develop their knowledge about flora, fauna, and our biomes across the world.

Lastly, I will also reach out to and work with any young people/new naturalists who need a guide or a mentor as they journey through nature. By doing this, I aim to help people access nature/make it accessible for everyone, help them understand different concepts and work with them to spread the word in their local areas/city. One way I can do this is by setting up different communities and groups that will work to improve local greenery, plant trees, build and put up bird boxes (as examples), and lots more. 

 If you would like to get involved in any way, please contact me at info.josekimburi@gmail.com. 

Thank you.