From eco-anxiety to activism

Join us for the first episode of the Generation Nature Podcast as we explore the inspiring journey of Kae Wrenn, a young climate activist and nature conservationist from York. 

Discover how Kae transformed their eco-anxiety into meaningful action, from organising climate strikes to volunteering for nature reserves.

Kae's journey is one of turning points. From disinterest, to eco-anxiety to activism. Learn how you and those you know can take inspiration from Kae's journey.

Watch the Young Voices for Nature Film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bzBgsTYUyqU?si=Axlc7T2xFDwoocMF

Clover Hogan Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/j6K0iQg_p1w?si=T7ozwgOzpdL7HlyT

Episode Transcript

Galatea: Hello, Kae, and welcome to the Generation Nature podcast. My name is Galatea, and today we're interviewing Kae, who is a young climate activist and nature conservationist from York. They loves nature with their whole heart and is dedicating their life to saving it. Welcome to the podcast, Kae.

Kae: Hi, thanks for having me.

Galatea: So we're going to dive straight in with the questions because I'm really interested to hear more about your story. So what I'd like to do is start at the beginning. What was your life like before nature and what was your relationship with nature before it came to what it is now?

Kae: So unlike a lot of young people who love nature, I only got into it quite recently, so when I was 14. Before I liked nature, I think my life growing up was pretty much like most kids. I loved reading. I would read a lot of books, especially fantasy. I liked watching TV as well and playing Minecraft. Nature was kind of there but it was in my peripheral vision so I never took much notice to it and I never really felt connected. I was lucky enough that my parents were able to take me on walks in the moors and the dales, but I enjoyed being outside but I never really noticed nature or felt connected to it much.

Galatea: So you've gone from being this person who could perhaps appreciate but was not engaged with or aware of nature to someone who is now an activist and conservationist. So I'd really like to dig into what caused that change in your relationship with nature, what changed your opinion and changed your mind.

Kae: Well, the sudden spark was when I started getting climate anxiety. For anyone who doesn't know, climate anxiety or eco-anxiety is anxiety or fear or terror in the face of the climate crisis or ecological breakdown. So for me, it was when I was looking through the UN website. I can't remember why now, but I came across this fact that even in the unlikely scenario that all the governments met all their climate targets by 2030, the results of climate change would still be devastating and catastrophic. And naturally, this filled me with absolute dread. I went into panic mode and I remember lying on my bed just crying and trying to push this climate anxiety away.

Galatea: That sounds like a really difficult part of your life and I'm sure it's something that a lot of people can relate to. Climate change feels like this massive problem that perhaps we feel too small to fix. So how did you go from this fearful relationship? How did you combat this sort of eco-anxiety that you were feeling?

Kae: Well, I remember looking through a lot of websites and blogs about how to manage climate anxiety and the main thing that they all said was take action. So the first thing I did was I tried to organise a climate strike at my school and yeah, so all of the organising and actively doing something good to help the planet, so organising a protest and then physically being there, that was a big help in managing my anxiety because I knew I was actually doing something to not help the problem but to benefit the solution rather than just sitting feeling scared. And then what came later is in year 10 we were allowed to do two weeks work experience and a couple of months beforehand I decided to do it at a nature reserve in York called St. Nick's and that's what I did. I did my two weeks work experience there and I found that being in nature benefited my mental health so much and I found a love for nature there with the work that I did and still do.

Galatea: That sounds absolutely amazing. Can you tell me a little bit more about the sort of things that you get up to at St Nick's?

Kae: Yeah, so at St. Nick's we do more practical management of habitats which different species live in. In the volunteering sessions, depending on what time of year, there's certain activities we do. Like in the summer we do scything. So today I spent the whole day scything grassland. In the winter it's more tree work, so pruning trees, coppicing trees, which is cutting them down at the stump. But they grow back later and we clear invasive species like Himalayan balsam, that's called balsam bashing. We dig up nettles and clear away brambles and in its place sow wildflower seeds or plant bulbs and the aim is to help the species that live there by increasing the biodiversity of the habitats.

Galatea: That sounds absolutely lovely. So it sounds like there's a real focus on native wildlife and improving the habitat for native species. What first sparked your love of UK wildlife?

Kae: Oh, really good question. Because I guess for a lot of kids growing up, it's like focusing on the elephants in Africa or the monkeys. Wildlife that's in other countries. So for me, it was the documentary Wild Isles, which David Attenborough did, I think it was March 2023. And that showed me that UK nature is just as amazing as nature from other countries and it showed me that yes the poison dart frog is very cool but so are red squirrels and so are jays and wrens and robins and all of the trees and so much of the wildlife which people take for granted is actually really amazing and UK wildlife is just as cool as wildlife in other countries.

Galatea: Well, I'm really glad to hear that you love UK wildlife so much and that Save Our Wild Isles was the thing that inspired you. I was actually privileged enough to meet you through a Save Our Wild Isles initiative and I wonder whether you wanted to tell us a little bit more about that.

Kae: Yeah, of course. So most people on the Generation Nature podcast met through a project called Young Voices for Nature. Some of us helped design the project, some of us joined later on. But overall, the project's aim was to bring young people who love nature together to create stories for nature. And we had a number of workshops telling us how to edit film and make films about nature and all of this led to a film with the RSPB, the National Trust, WWF and World Pencil called Our Beautiful Wild which is made by young people for young people and aims to inspire other young people to connect with and take action for nature and it is available on YouTube if you want to have a look after this, think we'll put it in the description.

Galatea: Yeah, we'll put it in the description for platforms that allow and yet it's called Our Beautiful Wild. So yeah, it was really wonderful to have that opportunity to create that piece of artivism with you. So I'd like to go a little bit back to you were speaking about lots of being involved in activism and some of your early actions being very activism focused. And I wonder whether you how do you define activism? And do you think that everyone who cares about nature should be an activist?

Kae: Wow, that's a very good question. I think when I was first getting into nature, about a year and a half ago, I would have said that to be an activist, you have to glue yourself to a road, much like the suffragettes did, who were the more violent activists in the movement for the right to vote for women. And but yeah, so that's what I thought being an activist was. And that's why the first thing I did was to try and organize a protest. But then as my journey went on and I made connections with more people, I got involved with Extinction Rebellion in York and I started volunteering at St. Nick's. I realized that there are many other forms of activism as well. So, our beautiful wild, that is a form of activism or artivism. And it creates meaningful change, but it's not a protest. And volunteering, that is a form of activism. And through Extinction Rebellion, well, through the Christian subsection called Christian Climate Action, I went on a pilgrimage for the planet where we walked around York, went to lots of nature sites and were praying for change in the race against the climate crisis. So now I realise that yes there were the suffragettes but there were also the suffragettes who were the more peaceful activists who did different things but I feel that there are there are many ways to be an activist and yes I do think that everyone who cares about nature should have a role in protecting it whether that be volunteering at your local nature reserve or being on a council or youth council for a wildlife charity or observing nature and uploading your findings or if you want to go to protests then please do that would be amazing but if that's not your scene then there are many other ways to get involved in activism and to help nature.

Galatea: I think that's really lovely message. I think nature is for everyone. Everyone has a role in protecting it and nature needs a diversity of people helping it with a diversity of different roles. I think that's such a wonderful message. So you mentioned that you are part of a Christian nature group. Do want to go into little bit more in depth about that, about how nature and your faith coincide?

Kae: Of course. So I am a Christian, I'm a Methodist, and I believe that, well, God made nature, is my belief. And God reveals himself to me and to other people of faith through the natural world around us. I find that if I go into nature and go for a walk, I find God there. So that's why I'm involved in some, so there's Christian climate action, which is the Christian subjection of Extinction Rebellion. And then my church also has an eco-church group, which I'm involved in because I believe that God created nature and God is in nature and therefore we must protect nature as well.

Galatea: I think that's really lovely. I'm glad that you've found a way to support both your faith and nature. I think that's really beautiful. You've had quite the journey over the last 18 months. You've started out not perhaps being that perceptive of nature to having eco-anxiety. You've moved on to being an activist, you've been a volunteer, you've helped other people to forge their connections with nature through Young Voices for Nature. What would be your advice to someone who was in your shoes 18 months ago before all this began? Perhaps they're experiencing eco-anxiety for the first time, what would be your advice with everything that you've learned over the past 18 months?

Kae: I would say build connections with other people because there's no greater joy than finding other people who also care about nature and who also want to make change for the planet because taking action can help alleviate climate anxiety. I know that from experience. Yeah, so build connections with other people and network as well because if sometime in the future you want to get involved in a certain sector the networks you've made might have the opportunity and if an opportunity comes your way then grab it with both hands because you never know where it's going to take you and I think spend as much time outside as you can as well because nature has amazing benefits for your mental health and it can be your sword and your shield through dark times and as well don't lose hope because there are there are hundreds of us there are thousands of us across the globe, across the UK, across the world, who care about nature and the climate and who are taking action. And you've just got to find your tribe, find your community and don't lose hope because there are some of us who are taking action, who do believe that a better world is possible.

Galatea: Thank you, Kae. That's a very inspiring message to end the podcast on. I just wondered whether there are any resources that you would recommend for people to watch or look for.

Kae: Yes, definitely. So first thing is Our Beautiful Wild, the film that Generation Nature was involved in. And also Wild Isles, the David Attenborough documentary, that's on BBC iPlayer. And as well, there was a video, there's a TED talk by a climate activist called Clover Hogan, who is 23 and she founded a charity called Force of Nature who aim to turn climate anxiety into climate action in young people and she recorded a TED talk called What to do if climate change feels unstoppable and that's on YouTube as well and it talks about the mindset we have when looking at climate change and I found that a massive help for me when I was going through my climate anxiety. So yeah, those are some good resources to check out.

Galatea: Well, thank you very much, Kae. I know I for one will be going away and watching that TED Talk. That's not one I've seen yet. It's been an absolute pleasure to have you on the podcast and I look forward to speaking with you again in future. Thank you very much and goodbye.

Kae: Thank you for listening.