About Amy
Amy is originally from Buckingham but now lives in Exeter where she is studying for a degree in marine biology at The University of Exeter. She has always had a passion for the natural world and spends most of her free time outdoors walking, climbing and sailing. Amy is an incredibly inspiring 18 year old… read on to find out more!
Amy has been involved in environmental campaigning in her hometown and beyond since the age of 12. In her early teens, she could be found emailing MPs, phoning supermarkets that were stocking unsustainable goods and campaigning against the use of micro plastics. By 14 she had organised the one of the first climate marches in London and started a campaign called ‘Devotion to Ocean’ in her school, leading it to go plastic free. At 16, Amy founded an environmental education charity called ‘Another Way’. She uses this platform to deliver environmental awareness sessions to community groups and schools.
“I’m now able to see the potency and connectivity of music and art, and the means to connect with nature. It has truly moved me” – Amy.
Amy at a glance
- LOCATION: Exeter/Buckingham
- ROLE: Senior Ambassador
- TALENTS: Marine biology, advocacy
- IMPACTS: Successfully delivered a host of environmental speeches to children across the UK, involved in the planning and delivery of the ‘Force for Nature Festival’, amplifying her charity’s message through her platform as an advocate
Summary of Impacts
- Amy has delivered a number of environmental speeches as an ambassador for the Tree Council
- She played a vital role in the planning and execution of the ‘Force For Nature Festival 2021’
- She has shared her story of founding ‘Another Way’ to thousands of young people across the country
- Used the skills, knowledge and experience acquired on the programme to grow her charity and public profile
- Acquired relevant tree knowledge and education that complements her marine biology science background
Connection With Nature
Although Amy clearly had a connection with nature before joining the programme, she states that being an ambassador has helped her feel even closer to nature. Amy tells us that the programme has been transformative in the way that she now perceives music and the arts to connect people with the natural world. Through these forms, she tangibly feels the interconnectedness of such elements.
Being an ambassador has also enabled her to see the joy that the natural world can provide to young people, particularly through on-the-ground conservation work. This, Amy believes, has renewed her passion and focus for the natural world within the work that she is doing with ‘Another Way’. She also believes that from a mental health perspective, her renewed focus on nature has aided when feeling overwhelmed or stressed when juggling her charity with her studies.
Skills and Knowledge Learnt
- The ability to connect with nature through other means such as art and music
- Emotional expression
- Acquired tree knowledge
- Improved public speaking
- Improved advocacy skills
- Acquired a wealth of knowledge about running a charity and how to grow her own, ‘Another Way’
- Learnt marketing/promotional skills to increase her charity’s impact
Professional Development and Advocacy Work
- The Tree Council has helped Amy kick-start her own charity
- Learnt the skills to be able to correctly invest more time and money into what she loves
- Has made her advocacy work more impactful
- Facilitated the employment of the first member of staff to her charity
- Learning from The Tree Council team’s expertise
- The opportunity to increase her charity’s engagement through the schools network
