As part of A Focus on Nature, Now for Nature week, we asked young people who are actively striving to make changes and educate on environmental issues to provide a pledge as to what they consider should be done NOW for NATURE...
Roisin is acting as an advocate for her current project looking at raptor conservation, conducting research into the human-wildlife conflict that is affecting raptor species. She is working with a range of different organisations and individuals from land managers to police to try and protect the species.
'My #NowForNature pledge is to balance the big with the small. It can seem so overwhelming to see the devastating impact of habitat and species loss, and we can become apathetic to doing anything because it all feels too big to deal with as an individual. To be an effective advocate you have to look after your mental health. Building, planting and making a home for birds and insects provides me with the mental space and room to heal that I need to be an advocate at work. So my small change is to build a little garden in my inner city concrete yard from old wooden pallets, and fill it with insect friendly flowers and grow some vegetables for my house. The effects of this are not just for me but to boost biodiversity in the local area and provide a space for wildlife to thrive. This gives me the energy in my 9-5 conservation job to push for cultural and political change, and advocate for the protection of hen harriers in the UK. Mix the big with the small, and never forget that no matter how seemingly small your efforts, you are making a difference.'