In this episode of the Generation Nature Podcast, hosted by Alana Wheat, Freddie Emms encourages everyone to contribute their unique skills to the nature sector. He pulls from his personal experiences with nature, and talks about the importance of nature connection, and how he uses his love of languages to engage others in nature advocacy.

Nature Needs Everyone - Freddie's Story

Episode Transcript

Galatea Hoyle: Hello, you're listening to the Generation Nature podcast, connecting you to nature, one story at a time. Today's episode is hosted by Alana Wheat and we're interviewing Freddie Ems, a young person from the Chilterns. Freddie is a languages student with a passion for storytelling and believes words can play a powerful role in connecting people to the natural world. He has always loved nature and wants to spread the message that no passion is separate from it. In this episode he will be exploring his own journey with nature and how anyone, regardless of their background or interests, has something valuable to bring to the environmental movement.

Alana Wheat: Hello Generation Nature Podcast. Today we're talking to Freddie about his experience getting into nature and how it ties in with his passion for language. So welcome to Generation Nature podcast, Freddie.

Freddie Emms: Hello, thank you.

Alana Wheat: So to begin with, what's your story for nature?

Freddie Emms: So for me, nature now is something that is such an integral part of my life in all of the projects and the initiatives that I'm lucky enough to be involved in. And really for me, it's always kind of been that way. I've always had nature as something that's really central to my life. I grew up in a small town in the middle of the countryside in the Chilterns National Landscape. And because of that, I kind of, I've always had this really early immersion in nature on a kind of daily basis. We always had dogs when I was younger and we still do. It's those daily dog walks, taking our dogs out into the woods and the beach woodlands and the moors and the fields around the Chilterns that have really been quite integral to kind of founding my love and my passion for nature, which has kind of carried on and been this life long thing. And there's always been these kind of really important natural spaces to me all around where I live, which have kind of been integral in founding not only my love for nature, actually, but also a kind of a parallel passion that is also really important to me, which is my love of words and language. So I've always been really interested in writing and looking at how we use words and use language to kind of make a difference and inspire people. I think this really stemmed from my, in part, my early writings about nature. So we always had, when I was younger, we had an allotment which was really my own kind of wild paradise, like this kind of haven in the middle of, it was surrounded on all sides by the River Chess, so it was quite literally an island. And it was always this kind of place where I really let my imagination run wild around the back of it. It had fantastic kind of wild, overgrown patches. We had a tree house and we had a tyre swing and things like this. and I would always kind of sit by the river and write about this place and really allow my imagination to kind of run away with me and write stories and poetry about how this natural place influenced me and how the kind of I... grew up in it and how I interacted with it and I think it was this that really allowed these two passions to kind of run alongside each other in a really kind of integral way. So now I'm older and I've got involved really through a project called Chiltern's New Shoots really with integral and turning this love of nature into actually getting involved and actually kind of taking part in all of these other initiatives. I've since joined the RSBB Youth Council and met some incredible people through that and through all the projects that we've been involved with and I think that's really allowed me to find my community. I think that it's been amazing to be able to transform my love into actually taking action and actually kind of making a difference and I think a lot of people think that if you're interested in nature, the only way into nature is to kind of study zoology or study something kind of natural sciences or something like that. But for me, it's always been this passion for languages that's kind of fired me alongside my passion for nature and now I'm studying languages at university and I think that what I really want to do in the future is to show that these two passions of mine are not mutually exclusive, that they can really combine and kind of influence where I want to take my life and look at kind of how we communicate about nature and really use these two passions to make a difference as best I can. So yeah, for me, the long and short of it is that nature has really been integral to me for all throughout my life and as has my love of language and words and I'm really looking forward to kind of seeing where I can take these two in the future to make the biggest difference that I can using my own kind of unique skill sets of my love of words and language and storytelling.

Alana Wheat: Really awesome story and I think it was really interesting hearing about your reflections of sitting in the woods and writing about what you're seeing and what's connected you to that language side. And even just like walking the dogs, you can just almost imagine you walking the dogs and kind of being filled with that nature enthusiasm too. So you've kind of spoken a lot about that passion and a bit about that new shoots initiative as well. So can you walk us through your journey how a general love for nature went to deciding that conservation was something that you wanted to actively pursue in your adult life?

Freddie Emms: Yeah, so it was because of this project really, it was through my, when I was doing my Duke of Edinburgh award, that this... I was looking for kind of nature related opportunities to get involved in and this one popped up on social media I think it was my mum who first told me about it and it was a project called Chilton's New Shoots and it was a year-long initiative for young people to get involved with kind of practical conservation and learning about nature and species identification around the Chiltern's. with a kind of a host of local organisations, nature has been something that's really integral to me. But I think for most of my life I felt very kind of isolated in that. I didn't really know that many other people who were also interested in nature. It was always kind of the thing that... was a bit out there. It wasn't really the normal, like all the most popular kind of crazes and loves growing up. I was never into things like sports and things like that. It was always nature for me. And so it was this initiative that really allowed me to meet other like-minded young people that were my own age and kind of see that actually there are a lot of other young people out there that are interested in nature and that really it's something that shouldn't at all be marginalised. It should be really something that everyone can get involved in no matter kind of what their individual interests are and none of that is kind of mutually exclusive to it. But yeah, New Shoots really allowed me to meet other people working in the conservation sector and showed me that this is really something that I want to. actively pursue and something that I want to go on and do as a career because I never really considered that I think nature could be something that could also be a career as well as a passion. So I think in the future what this has taught me is that I want to use my unique angle of looking at nature from a language-based perspective to kind of forge a career out of that and use those skills to make a difference. And so it was New Shoots and then the initiatives that I went on to on to join as a result of kind of the confidence that initiative gave me that have really kind of been integral in forging that path for me.

Alana Wheat: Absolutely, and I know one of the initiatives, because you know I've been along to it as well, was that Youth and Nature Summit, so the work that you have. carried on with after this new shoot and it's still bringing people together and almost allowing other people to have that same experience of finding their people and finding other people that are also interested in nature.

Freddie Emms: Yeah, and actually on a kind of personal note from that, it was really lovely to be involved in the making of this Youth in Nature Summit. So this was an event that we held in Cambridge in February 2024 that was a collaboration between the RSVB, WWF and BTO, young people from all of those organisations. And It was really the bringing together of all the people I've met since and also the people who first got me into Nature also were able to attend that summit. So it was really lovely to kind of see the conflux of the start of my journey and where it's going now and kind of bring those people together in one room. And I think that's what finding community is all about is being able to bring all these different strands together and kind of in favour of that one common goal, I think.

Alana Wheat: That's absolutely fantastic. And obviously now as well, so you've said about how you're going to study languages at university. So what made you choose that languages as that subject potentially rather than a traditional conservation subject as such?

Freddie Emms: I think I definitely did consider going down that more ecology and conservation based route for a bit. But I think really, like for me, I'm not, although I really enjoy the science of nature and I really find it interesting, I think I'm not quite a scientist. I don't think that's really the right path for me. I think I would. I prefer writing and I prefer kind of the creative side of that and looking at how we can use language to engage people for nature. So I think for me, I decided in the end to go down the route of studying language and literature. So I'm studying French and I really want to kind of look at this language from a kind of nature-based perspective and look at how not only the everyday language that we use can influence our perception of nature, our everyday perception of it, and kind of how language really shapes our worldview, especially of things like climate change and the natural world, but also looking at how it's culturally important, so how our literature and our art and kind of the way in which we talk about the natural world in these things can really reveal quite a lot about our perception of it and our relationship with it as a species. And I think that that's really interesting and this is kind of my own kind of unique angle on the natural world that I've found and that I'm trying to kind of forge a career from, which I really hope I'll be able to do because this will be ideal really for me to combine these two passions.

Alana Wheat: Absolutely. And I think that's such an interesting kind of angle to come into the kind of environmental sector with as well. And so particularly kind of studying French, which isn't really that stereotypical kind of environmental background. So it's really interesting. Yes, how do you hope to use these language skills to kind of make a difference for nature in the future?

Freddie Emms: I think not only does it kind of open up the ability to work kind of internationally with nature potentially. In my degree we spend a year abroad in the third year, so I'm really looking forward to kind of looking at going into the French nature scene in that year and seeing kind of how I can get involved internationally with that. But also I think even in more generally in terms of just kind of how language works, I think it's going to be really useful for me to learn what the best ways are to communicate and kind of how we use language to actually specifically communicate specific issues and talk about things like that because communication is really important in the nature world because it's how we engage people, it's how we kind of reach people who wouldn't necessarily be interested in nature and how we can kind of persuade them to consider nature as something which is important to them because we know that it is absolutely vital to all of us throughout our society. And I think it's through communication and through using things like personal connections and storytelling to really connect with those audiences and language. It's obviously an integral part of that, we can really start to reach people and inspire them to make a difference.

Alana Wheat: Yeah, absolutely. And I know from my background there's also more on that science side of things, I suppose, but actually scientists are really having to learn quite quickly how to communicate about nature and about climate, but without causing like fear and anger, but instead trying to give people hope and optimism for the future. And that's where kind of your language and your hearts is so important because it's that emotional connection. So yeah, absolutely fantastic work that you're doing there. So what messages then would you potentially give to young people who may have other passions that aren't necessarily nature? But instead they like arts, languages or maybe even technology, but potentially still want to contribute to nature conservation.

Freddie Emms: Yeah, I mean, I think the important thing to remember is that really no passion, no kind of interest is mutually exclusive with helping nature. I think that kind of whatever you're interested in, whatever your passion is, whether that is languages, maths or science or arts or kind of anything like that. And even if you haven't really had a background that's been especially filled with nature, anyone can come to kind of discover nature at any point throughout their lives. And I think that's something that's also really important. But really, whatever your passion is, you can bring something unique to the table through that passion and through that kind of angle that you hold. Like for example, you can like help with kind of maths and scientific things like that. You can help with finding solutions to nature or with language, you can help with communicating it or arts, you can help with kind of expressing things about nature, expressing feelings and things like this. So I think that really we need everyone to take part in the solutions for the nature of crisis because these issues, nature and climate crisis, are some of the most intersectional issues of our time that we'll ever really see and I think that because they're going to affect every one of us, we need every one of us in all of these unique skill sets and niches to get involved and to kind of make a difference within the solution, finding the solutions to these problems, communicating the solutions to as many people as possible. So yeah, it's all right to have those other kind of supposedly unrelated passions and to not follow a kind of traditional path. I know I'm not and I know there are lots of other people who aren't doing that traditional path of studying ecology and conservation because nature is something that's vital to everyone, no matter what your passion is and what your kind of individual skill set is.

Alana Wheat: I think that's a really, really important point and really well said as well, Freddie, because that is that diverse perspectives and different skills that we really need to create those solutions together. Even if it was on that local scale or national scale or even international scale, it's getting many people around discussing it and working on those solutions. Because if just one person decided the solution, it's going to be very kind of in their interest in it. what the rest of the population needs. So I think that is a really, really important point. So I just wondered if I wanted to reflect any more on your childhood then and your home life, I suppose. So something you were saying was about the dogs and things like that and how you were getting into your local area. So if people wanted to kind of connect more to nature, but wanted to go outside a bit more and learn more about their local area, what would you recommend they do?

Freddie Emms: No, I think that this is the really important thing is that no matter what, at any stage in your life, you can discover nature. It's always going to be kind of there for you. You don't have to have grown up with it immediately. I have lots of good friends who discovered nature later on in their lives and are still kind of as intricately and deeply connected with it as someone for whom it's been there like their whole lives. So I think if you're wanting or if you're kind of interested in getting involved or you kind of feel that you'd like to rediscover the nature around you or you've perhaps become a bit distance from it as I know so many people do during kind of their teenage years and older. Lots of people because of this technological world seem to become a lot more distance from nature than I think we used to. But it's always kind of going to be there for you because these places are always, they have an intrinsic kind of, I don't know what it is, some kind of amazing magic, but it is really transformational and it can really kind of shape you and shape your lives and the kind of the way in which you see the world. I think nature can help us become much more empathetic, much more kind of understanding and aware of the world around us. And there's a wonderful quote by David Attenborough, where “no one will protect what they don't love and no one will love what they've never experienced”. And I think that's incredibly true because it is that experience that is incredibly kind of transformational for us in terms of discovering nature and discovering kind of how we can take action. So I think, yeah, just get out into nature, get out and kind of experience all the amazing wonders that it has to offer really.

Alana Wheat: That's such a good point. And I guess another thing there is like share what you're doing if you're able to with family, with friends. And I know that's one of the pathways to nature connection is that sharing with other people. So I know Generation Nature, it's a great opportunity because we formed this online community. So even if when we're in our homes, villages, cities, we feel a bit isolated and alone. But at the same time, if we go out and then say, look at this amazing thing we've seen, whether that's a landscape or particular wildlife or something like that even if we can't name it, but we just think it's completely all beautiful and just sharing that. And it's kind of that language that's included in that as well. But then it's that power of the digital. So yes, it's about disconnecting and going outside, but then also we can use those digital technologies to connect with each other and find our people.

Freddie Emms: Yeah, definitely. People finding community is absolutely so important, I think. And sharing that through storytelling as well, I think is such an important way of sharing that passion because stories are something that are incredibly integral to our culture, but I think that we have perhaps distanced ourselves again from in certain ways with these kind of, sensationalised headlines nowadays that are kind of based on facts and figures about nature decline. But I think if you can communicate about nature by telling stories and by kind of connecting with people emotionally in that way and using that kind of emotional resonance, I suppose, with people that you're talking to and sharing those personal experiences. That's one of the most powerful ways of sharing it and kind of showing other people that nature is something that's vital to all of us. Yeah, just communicating it, finding other people and sharing your passion is so important.

Alana Wheat: That's such a nice way, I think, to round this wonderful podcast off. So thank you so much for coming along today, Freddie, and it's really great to have you part of Generation Nature as well. And thank you very much.

Freddie Emms: Thank you.

Galatea Hoyle: In today's episode, Freddie highlighted the importance of community and diversity in conservation. I hope this message resonates with you, our listeners, and encourages you to reflect on how your unique background can contribute to the nature space. We need you and nature needs you too. This episode was hosted by Alana and our guest was Freddie Emms. Generation Nature is funded by a grant from the Woodland Trust's Igniting Innovation Challenge, And our theme song was written and performed by Field Lily. This podcast was produced by the young people on the Generation Nature team. Alana Wheat, Ashley Greening, Freddie Emms, James Demierre, Jessica Humphreys, Kae Wrenn, Natasha Ballantyne, Ramendeep Nijjar, Rufus Dawson, Xander Wood, and myself, Galatea Hoyle.