Why Biodiversity is important to me - and why it should be important to you too.
This blog is by Richard who volunteers in the Policy subgroup at 2050 Climate Group.
I am halfway through my 31st year, and supposedly that makes me a ‘proper adult’, but I still find myself feeling like I’m stumbling about in the dark. The last few years have been spent working in climate and environmental policy - a world of meetings, targets, frameworks, and acronyms at times feels far from what originally drew me into this work; a love of the living world.
With Biological Diversity Day having just passed (22nd May), I feel I should write something authentic. Not another dry analysis of the Convention on Biological Diversity (although shout out to anyone who gets excited over the legal side of things), but maybe something a bit more profound about how biodiversity affects our lives, and how small actions can accumulate and make a difference.
Buzzzzzzzwords
"Biodiversity" might feel like a buzzword. But strip away the jargon, and it's really just about life. The buzzing bees that pollinate our harvest, the fungus quietly decomposing leaves under our feet, the bird songs that turn a morning walk into something more than just a commute.
Biodiversity is everything from the plants and animals, fungi and microbes and how they all interact together to fit into the planet's weirdest, most beautiful puzzle. And if we lose too much of that puzzle, the whole thing starts to fall apart.
A crisis we don't see (but feel)
We talk a lot about the climate crisis, and rightly so, but the biodiversity crisis is happening in parallel, and just as urgently. Species are disappearing at a terrifying rate - not because of asteroids or volcanic eruptions, but because of us: our land use, pollution, overconsumption, and the warming climate we’re fuelling.
I work in biodiversity policy and I often find myself tangled up in documents, spreadsheets and Team’s meetings, so it's easy to get caught in the technical side of things and lose sight of why this work actually matters in the first place. But the truth is, protecting biodiversity isn’t just about saving nature - it’s about safeguarding our own future. Our food systems, clean water, public health, and even our mental wellbeing all depend on healthy ecosystems.
From policy to practice
One thing I've learned: policy changes count, but they don't go far enough on their own. True change happens in the everyday decisions we make, the habits we form, the places we keep, the ways we express ourselves.
That's where the youth can come in. Because we're not just future leaders - we're current ones. We bring innovation, impatience, and exasperation to systems that desperately need to be shaken up.
How you can connect with nature and help protect it
You don't need to be a scientist or a policymaker to join the cause of biodiversity. Here are some things that actually matter:
Pay attention to the life that is living. Learn the names of the plants on your street or the birds that sit on lampposts and trees. It sounds trite, but in paying attention, there is connection and from connection grows care.
If you garden or have a balcony, let a little of it get wild. Native wildflowers and messy nooks are gold mines for bees, butterflies, and beetles.
When possible, choose natural products, and avoid pesticides that kill pollinators.
Support local, seasonal, and organic produce where possible. Even one plant-based meal a day helps reduce pressure on ecosystems.
Whether it’s voting, signing petitions, or just having conversations, speaking up for nature can make a difference.
Volunteer with a local conservation group, join citizen science projects, or attend community events, such as the one’s we host at 2050 Climate Group! It’s also a great way to meet like-minded people.
Rewild yourself
We talk a lot about rewilding landscapes, but what about rewilding ourselves? In the rush of trying to succeed, endless scrolling, malicious hypocrisy and clickbait headlines, it’s easy to become disconnected from the very world we’re trying to protect. So try to take a moment to step outside, touch a tree and watch how its sprawling branches reach into the sky, listen to the birds and pretend you know what they’re saying or just count the dandelions.
Because biodiversity is not an artificial issue for scientists and governments to work out. It's a living, breathing network we are all a part of and the more we keep remembering that and that this world is worth saving, the more we'll fight to protect it.
Want to get involved? Check out local projects, conservation volunteering initiatives, or just drop us a message - we'd love to hear about how you're getting involved with nature.