At this pretty site, you’ll learn all about ways to help restore England’s green and pleasant land! There are posts on every county (plus a few cities and islands!) You’ll get to know each area, so you can develop a love and appreciation for our natural world and all its creatures, so want to help!
Just as importantly – you’ll find practical and helpful ways to empower people. Because it’s people power that makes the difference! From how we live to what we buy (or don’t). Change is made by quiet little swaps, and switching everyday goods over to alternative brands that do good!
What this site definitely is not!
At time of writing, there is a lot of politics going on! People are very concerned at cost of living, along with environmental catastrophes like wildlife and war.
As some political parties seem to want to kick environmental and animal welfare issues into the long grass in favour of ‘little Englander’ politics’, let’s be very clear what this site is not about:
This site IS about empowerment: local people taking back their own power to help themselves and each other: think volunteering, community gardens, community supported agriculture, people-owned groceries, credit unions, locally owned indie shops and social enterprises.
This site is NOT about (and yes sometimes we have to use them so don’t feel guilty, it’s not your fault): big banks and supermarkets, massive chainstores, right-wing media telling us how to think and vote, people saying that the only way to stop climate change is to replace fossil fuels with massive wind farms or nuclear or people saying to ‘go green’ you have to buy lots of rubbish.
There is a better alternative way. It’s about banding together a kind, gentle and friendly way. It’s happening everywhere – not just in England but worldwide. People are buying their own pubs and grocery stores, growing free organic food for each other, setting up money-free Timebanks and switching to alternative media. Getting to know their areas, and living their own lives.
People are at the heart of change
We never get change by letting big media or politicians make decisions for us. A bit like supermarkets only start to ‘go green’ when we change our buying habits – MPs will soon have to change when we stop supporting lifestyles that foster economic growth or consumerist mindsets.
Some may prefer GDP to a Happiness Index. But if we all do our little bit to live simple sustainable lives, the GDP would crash, so they would have to come up with some kind of alternative. Better for society and the planet.
It’s not up to MPs or the media to tell us how to live, what to think, who to vote for, where we shop or whether we are religious, straight, gay, single, married, left-wing or right-wing. It’s up to us to take back our power for this beautiful, beautiful country of ours.
A place of wetlands with endangered curlews. Happy Herdwick sheep protected by drystone walls built by volunteers. A place where mountain hikers share their sandwiches at the summit. Where people get up at midnight to feed baby badger cubs whose mothers have been killed in road accidents.
A country where old spinsters leave all their money to animal shelters. A place where a white 94-year old man calls out a MP candidate who seeks to divide us – and vows to vote for a dustbin instead. A country that builds affordable homes – but does not knock down wildlife sites to do so.
A country where nobody in their right mind (no matter what the issues) would put an innocent child in a not-seaworthy boat and send them across the channel to drown. Nor berate the RNLI for trying to help.
A country where most people love dogs more than people. And even let people they don’t love have their own beliefs, as long as no-one is doing any harm. This is the England we love. And we are risk of losing it to climate-change-denying, countryside-wrecking and xenophobic politics.
Protecting nature, together
Nature is under pressure like never before. From declining biodiversity and habitat loss to climate change and pollution, the challenges are huge. But so is the potential for change.
But no one person, organisation, company or political party can do this alone. Each of us has to make just a little difference. Like water, together we have more weight. There are around 58 million people in England. That’s an awful lot of power, even if people make one or two simple changes each a week.
We can work together – sharing knowledge, building partnerships and creating solutions that work for both nature and communities. By supporting grassroots action, we help connect local efforts to a bigger movement for a healthier, more resilient natural world.
From local action to lasting change
We champion practical action that makes a real difference.
That could mean a community restoring a woodland, supporting someone who protects local wildlife. Creating opportunites to have a stronger voice. And also connecting local projects with the resources and expertise they need.
And because we are a kind nation, that does not mean that those abroad get left behind. At this site, also find lots of ways to help creatures, the planet (and its people!) elsewhere. From volunteers helping animals on the streets or in war zones. To providing fresh clean water in Africa, by switching your loo roll!
Every action matters. A restored habitat. A protected species. A community inspired to get involved. A new partnership formed.
We believe in empowering people to create it.
Empowering people. Protecting nature.