Everyone knows that it’s young people who are spearheading the fight against the climate crisis. Obviously, Gen Z cares a lot about the environment, and yet recent research has shown that ‘nature connectedness’ – that is, how much they actually interact with nature – among teenagers right now is very low.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is out to solve that. The charity, which is Europe’s largest non-profit dedicated to wildlife conservation, is giving 16 to 24-year-olds free access to all of its reserves in a two-year pilot scheme it’s calling a ‘youth revolution’.
With over 200 reserves, the RSPB is actually one of the UK’s biggest landowners. Right now, anyone over 18 is charged an average of around £6 if they wish to visit one of its 21 most popular sites, including Rainham Marshes in Essex, Minsmere in Suffolk and Pulborough in West Sussex. But from November 6, that fee will be dropped for everyone aged between 16 and 24. All you need to do is arrive with a valid photo ID.
In a statement the charity said: ‘At the moment we know we need to do more to engage and connect with 16-24 year olds. Young people are less likely to visit our nature reserves than other age groups and we know that cost is one of the main barriers.
‘By removing entry charges, we hope more young people will come to explore these wonderfully wild places and connect with the great outdoors in new ways.’
Apparently, the ‘youth revolution’ will also involve young people being invited to the charity’s board meetings.
Emily Marsh, RSPB’s executive director of digital technology and communications, told the Guardian: ‘I believe this generation are the ones that can really help us to protect nature. We are truly in a nature emergency, but the world isn’t operating as if it is, so we need every single generation to be acting with passion, out there, doing stuff to save nature.’
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