Tag: New Nature

New Nature Issue 11!

November is a month of rain and frost, of falling leaves and howling gales, the steady drip of birds coming to winter in Britain now becomes a torrent of ducks, waders, owls and finches. As there are changes in the natural world, there are changes in the world of conservation, and one of the most significant of these is the ever-growing concept of ‘rewilding’. At New Nature, we are keen to explore what this term means to younger generations of naturalists, so in this rewilding-themed issue, we hear from contributors new and old on this complex topic. We hear why farmers are crucial to rewilding in Ben Eagle’s article (Page 32) , Jack Hicks gives us his thoughts on beavers in south-west England (Page 38) and regular Zach Haynes gives us his view on the rewilding debate (Page 12). Also, new contributor Alexandros Adamoulas gives us the facts on a potential reintroduction of white-tailed eagles to England (Page 24), but Peter Cooper reminds us that successful reintroductions need good community engagement (Page 34). On top of all that, our own Alex Pearce interviews the inimitable Nick Baker about his exciting new book on rewilding (Page 30).

As always, our regular articles include what autumnal wildlife you need to watch out for this month (Page 8), Alice Johnson suggests some really wild places to visit around the UK (Page 10) and in the underrated species column I argue that roe deer are just as noteworthy as their larger cousins (Page 14). Recent decades have seen paradigm shifts in nature conservation and thoughts are turned towards what the future holds and how we can prepare for it. It is the young generations of today that will be living in that future and for whom rewilding could be a vital tool in the protection of nature. So, let’s keep up the discussion; please read, recommend and share New Nature and let us know what you think on social media. Thank you for your support!

To view and download the latest issue of New Nature, click here: 

Words by Elliot Dowding, Content Editor

New Nature issue 10!

October is an exciting time in the naturalist’s calendar: a period of conspicuous and adrenaline pumping change as leaves redden, red deer roar and myriad migrant birds grace our coastal watch points. It is a time of returning wonders – geese, swans and thrushes, of succulent fruits, curious fungi and tumultuous weather. All of which, combined, provide a true feast for the senses, ensnaring all as days shorten and the British Autumn steams ahead.

The wonder of autumn is captured perfectly in the latest issue of New Nature Magazine. Through in-depth accounts of seasonal specialities – Redwings (Page 40) and Grey Seals (Page 14) – and through fine nature writing from some of the most remote reaches of our small island. Indeed, Camila Quinteros’ look at the autumnal flora of Fair Isle (Page 32) is not one you can afford to miss.

In this issue, readers will also find talk of Lundy Island, aptly labelled as the British Galapagos by contributor Hannah Wolmuth-Gordon (Page 28); while on page 38, the Woodland Trust’s Chris Hickman delivers a thrilling account of Britain’s favourite trees. Also inside, Sophie Watts issues five tips for students looking to choose a university this Autumn (page 42), Kayleigh Crawford delves into community engagement in woodland conservation (page 41), and New Nature’s own Scott Thomson interviews freshwater ecologist Peter Walker (page 22).

As the director of New Nature, I would once again like to offer thanks to all those who read, download and share our publication each month. It has been almost a year since the magazine was established and things are advancing marvellously – all thanks to you. Please keep it up, and in doing so, help us continue to bring the thoughts and views of young conservationists to an increasingly wide and diverse audience. Their voices must
be heard.

The latest issue of New Nature can be downloaded free here: https://goo.gl/KsxkTz

Interviewed, How Now Magazine

Recently I had the distinct pleasure of chatting to Bel Jacobs, the lead editor of How Now Magazine – a webzine focused on highlighting human efforts to counteract some of the most pressing problems facing the world today. Including, but far from limited to, environmental destruction and ecological ignorance.

Having been contacted for an interview, it was great to be asked to discuss New Nature magazine. Specifically, the reasons behind our decision to launch the outlet and what we, the editorial team, feel are the ultimate aims of the project. This interview can be found here for those interested – please take a look.

New Nature issue 9!

This month has seen a bit of a change in the New Nature team. Due to the success
of previous issues, we now have three new team members. We have Lauriane Suyin, our Outreach Manager, and Emma-Jo Pereira who is our new Social
Media Manager. I (Scott) am also new and I will be part of the editorial team. We
are all very excited to be part of New Nature and look forward to working here.

We’ve got a very full edition this month with a lot of great content and many new contributors which is fantastic to see. Our regular pieces still remain though, and Adam Canning reminds us what a great month this is for wildlife with his piece on “What to watch for” in September (Page 6). We also have Alix Zelly focusing on red squirrels in “Species Focus” (Page 24) and our very own Elliot Dowding presents the field maple tree as an underrated species (Page 10). Dara McAnulty and Isla Dawn Hodgson have both written excellent pieces on the plight of the hen harrier (Page 16 & 18) whilst Antaia Christou and David Bassett have provided this month’s opinion piece, arguing
both sides of the hunting debate (Page 20).

All those articles combined don’t even make up half of this month’s issue though so we owe a huge thank you to everyone who has sent us articles this month. It has been a pleasure to read your work and we hope you enjoy seeing it in print. Remember to follow us on social media and drop us an email if you would like to be a contributor as we are always looking for new people and new ideas. From the whole team here, thank you for your continued support and we hope you enjoy this edition!

Check out New Nature issue 8 here: 
Scott Thomson
Content Editor

New Nature Issue 8!

The August edition of New Nature, the youth nature magazine, has been released and is now available to download online and free. Check it out: https://goo.gl/FeC9Sd

This issue has a definite marine theme and features some fabulous writing with regards to cetaceans, micro plastics and marine wildlife; in addition to an interview with Andy Bool, the head of the Sea Life Trust. As ever, it has been nothing short of a delight to work on this issue and I am incredibly grateful to the entire New Nature team from bringing yet another fabulous youth publication to life.

To learn more about New Nature, please check out our website – I can assure you, you will not be disappointed.

Six months of New Nature

It has been nothing short of a pleasure to work on New Nature magazine over the past six months: to read and publish the work of our marvellous young contributors and labour alongside the various, incredibly diligent, individuals that currently reside on our editorial team. Each of whom, through thick and thin, have given their time voluntarily to create what many feel is both an enjoyable and appealing publication.  This six-month summary providing the perfect opportunity to bid a begrudging farewell to Alysia Schuetzle – our designer – who has done a meticulous job at piecing the magazine together each month; but also to welcome Harriet Gardiner to the team as her replacement. Good luck, Harriet!

It has not been an easy six months, truth be told: the associated workload far surpassing our earlier expectations – leaving many of us scrambling to fit magazine commitments in alongside university, paying work and additional voluntary commitments. Equally, the sporadic flack we have received due to our age limit has been frustrating at times, and outright off-putting at others; though this has not yet proven sufficient to deter us.  Nor, I suspect, will it – we do, after all, believe wholeheartedly that a magazine written solely by young people is much needed in current times. These hiccups aside, however, the publishing process has been delightful: the kind words of readers and organisations boosting morale and providing ample motivation to continue long into the future. Indeed, it is starting to feel like we are achieving some of the things we set out to do from the start.

What exactly have we achieved so far? Well, the obvious one would be that we have brought the thoughts and views of over 100 young naturalists into the public eye – with each issue downloaded and read over 1000 times and our online traffic  – namely, on our blog – growing daily. This, in turn, has lead to a number of our contributors being picked up by publications elsewhere, thus boosting their portfolio and allowing them to develop further in their chosen fields. This was our main motivation for starting the magazine – to promote and embolden young people – and it is wonderful to see those featured getting noticed elsewhere for their hard work and determination. They really do deserve it, and while many outlets may shy away from publishing inexperienced, younger writers, we will continue to do so for as along as we can.

Our other achievements are more difficult to assess, though with a growing readership and increasing social media presence, I, personally, believe that we are doing our bit to promote important environmental topics and instigate discussion among our readers. Something we hope to build upon by launching our first official campaign in the coming weeks. More on this to be revealed shortly, however, though rest assured, it involves a call to action on behalf of our readers and is something that we feel may make a positive, physical difference for wildlife across Britain. Think small-scale rewilding…

Campaign aside, what can you expect from New Nature in the future? Well, we hope that with the aid of some as yet unsourced financial sponsors, that will be able to promote the work of our contributors further than ever before – something that can only be achieved by increasing our readership. We also hope to build upon our recent success to transform New Nature from a simple online publication into more of a community – a hub where young writers can interact, form friendships, share opportunities and, generally, have a blast. A Facebook group for this has recently been established (see here) and we hope to utilise this more in the future. Finally (and again, this depends on our ability to secure relationships with outside bodies), we hope to offer something more than simply publication for our writers. We hope to provision young people prizes, opportunities and, perhaps at some point in the future, funding, as an incentive to keep up their fabulous work. As you can see, we are not short of ideas…

As with any publication, our ability to bring our ambitions to fruition depends greatly on improving our stats, building our following and increasing our general readership. This is unavoidable, and we hope that by continuing our work, these things will happen naturally. With the way things are going at present, and with more passionate individuals joining our team, it is definitely worth watching this space – who knows where we will be in another six months.

 

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who has given their time to write for the magazine. This includes the big names in conservation, writing and media who have generously given their time to be interviewed and offer advice to the next generation. Equally, I would like to thank each of the organisations that regularly share New Nature with their following – we really couldn’t do it without you. Most of all, however, I would like to thank each and every individual that reads, downloads and shares the magazine each month. I, for one, am incredibly grateful for your support. I will leave you with a quick quote from presenter and naturalist, Nick Baker:

“I read your first magazine and I love it, I think what you guys are doing is bloody brilliant and I back it wholeheartedly”

New Nature: from strength to strength

Have you heard of New Nature yet? Given the social media storm surrounding our launch and the positive feedback still appearing regularly on Twitter and Facebook, you may well have. If not, rest assured that there is still plenty of time to familiarise yourself with the magazine and the fabulous young naturalists, writers, scientists and ecologists who have helped bring it to life. And who continue to supply us with intriguing articles to be posted online, for your reading pleasure, each month.

The response to New Nature thus far has been nothing short of humbling. With the kind comments of environmental professionals, conservation organisations and, of course, young people allowing us to build up a modest social media presence and, more importantly, a large (and growing) reader base. From our initial feedback, it would seem that many feel we are living up to our initial aim: to promote, embolden and celebrate the myriad dedicated young people working to protect the natural world. And many more feel we have at least produced something eye-catching and enjoyable. This, of course, has left myself and the rest of the team smiling profusely.

With the magazine now in its fifth issue and more popular than ever, it is clear that we are doing something right. With a number of our young writers recently snapped up by paid publications and interest now filtering in from far larger and more renowned bodies, things are looking rosy; though it has not all been plain sailing and, at times, running the magazine has proven outright difficult. With myself and the rest of the team each squeezing in editing, admin and promotion where we can,  between full-jobs, degrees, volunteer work and other pressing personal commitments. It has been difficult to stay on top of things; difficult to maintain the high standard set by our first issue and even more difficult to keep up with the plethora of emails, tweets and Facebook messages from aspiring contributors, supporters and external bodies. We are managing, however, and intend to keep managing for as long as we can.

The fifth issue of New Nature has been one of my favourites to date. Perhaps this is due to the fabulous photography included within – including our cover image by the incredibly talented Oscar Dewhurst – or perhaps this is down to the articles. With this month’s interview, featuring the wonderful Lucy McRobert, certainly one of our more memorable to date. Instead of me waffling about it, however, please take a look for yourselves here: 

For those (under 30) looking to contribute to New Nature you can contact the editorial team at: editorial.newnature@gmail.com – we would be delighted to hear from you.

Nurturing New Nature

Before Christmas, while mulling over the idea of starting a youth nature magazine, I did not expect such to ever become reality. Three months back, I would not have dared dream that my idea would ever take shape or that, with the help of a team of gifted young writers, we could produce something others would find both enjoyable and actively beneficial. Well, it looks like I was wrong; at least if this recent post by the ever-inspiring Dara McAnulty is anything to go by.

As we approach our third issue, New Nature looks to be going from strength to strength; with each of the volunteers working on the magazine inundated daily with emails of support, pitches and offers of assistance. All of which are greatly appreciated. The support and advice we have received thus far – from conservation NGOs, societies and individuals young and old – have left us thoroughly reassured. Both in the sense that we, as a group, are capable of producing something worth reading, and that we are doing exactly what we intended to do from the start: supporting, promoting and emboldening the next generation of British naturalists. Yes, we are only a magazine (a virtual one for the time being) but it looks as if people feel there is both a niche and need for this sort of thing. Hooray!

The success of the magazine to date – downloaded over 7000 times already – has set me to thinking. My spare time (and that of Alex, Alice, Alysia and Emily) now occupied by brainstorming as we contemplate just how we can advance the project in the future. Much of which, ultimately, comes down to the prospect of getting New Nature published in print at some point  – though we are aware this takes viewing figures and financial clout beyond what we possess at present. It is, however, an aim of ours and we hope to take steps to provide a print version of the magazine in the future.

Obviously, there are questions about how we would fund such an endeavour; especially as we believe that New Nature should be entirely free to read and enjoy. Something which, in itself, seems incompatible with our hopes of getting the magazine into print; although stranger things have happened and I would love, one day, to use the magazine to generate funds. Perhaps via sponsorship, perhaps through donations, or maybe through a mixture of both. Not so the team can make money – both myself and the girls are content to do this on a voluntary basis – but to cover the costs of the website, promotion and so forth. But also, and much more importantly, to reinvest in our incredibly diligent young contributors. Paying contributors may not seem feasible, at present, but I would love to be able to provide prizes, fund adventures and contribute towards important projects undertaken by young people. It is all very pie in the sky at present, in truth, but given the overwhelmingly positive response to the magazine so far, I suspect that with a little graft on our part, and maybe some luck, we may be able to make this happen. And thus encourage young people to do more than just write.

Whatever route we go down in the future; whether we stick to virtual realm or set out sights higher, I feel there is great scope to develop New Nature. To transform the project into something that actively benefits young people; on par or perhaps in cahoots with other wonderfully supportive organisations. It has certainly been rewarding to hear your views on the magazine so far and I would be delighted to receive any advice regarding how we can grow and expand in the future. Please get in touch, but more importantly, please continue to share the magazine with other like-minded people. Tweet it, blog it, email it to your colleagues; it is only with your support that we can make this work, sustain the project and, I hope, meet our aspirations of giving a voice to young nature lovers long into the future.

You can stay up to date with New Nature on Twitter, Facebook and on our website.

New Nature: the launch.

Today witnessed the launch of New Nature Magazine, the new e-magazine written, edited and produced entirely by young people. And what a launch it was.

When I clicked the metaphorical launch button this morning, I did not envisage New Nature going down half as well as it did, in truth. I had hoped that people would enjoy it, of course, though what transpired today has been nothing short of thrilling. And a little dumbfounding. The magazine read and shared hundreds of times and by hundreds of people. The response to our publication nothing short of humbling.

Browsing social media, barely a minute has passed today without chancing upon a positive comment about New Nature. Comments which have flooded in from writers, conservationists, ecologists, gardeners, birders, botanists and everyone in between; including some very notable organisations and personalities to whom I am exceedingly grateful. With the greatest amount of praise directed – as it should be –  at the plethora of dedicated young naturalists who have contributed to our inaugural issue. It has been marvelous and I am sure each contributor is as thrilled by the response as I am.

The aim of New Nature, during its development, has always been to promote and support the diligent efforts of young people striving for a career in the environmental sector. From our initial feedback, this is exactly what I feel we have done. Apparently while creating something “professional, enjoyable and marvelous” at the same time. I could not be happier, and would like to thank, once again, everyone who has supported our efforts or contributed thus far! I feel nothing short of motivated to take New Nature to new heights in the future and to attempt to bolster the confidence of young people along the way. Of course, not all liked the magazine, and a minority chose to belittle it out of nothing more than dislike of myself. Bah humbug, you’re not popping this bubble.

Heading forward from today, all I can say on the matter is that you can expect more of the same. You can expect news, opinion and creative writing from Britain’s marvelous young people; you can expect interviews with familiar faces willing to mentor and support them and can certainly – given the skill of our creative director – expect a colourful, fresh and enjoyable read delivered to your inbox each month. Without fail. As things progress, I hope that word will spread; and as it does, that more young people will feel emboldened enough to express themselves in the magazine – ultimately helping New Nature grow into something permanent. Though, in this regard, only time will tell. Though the horizon looks bright and the youth nature movement continues flourish.

For those looking to read the magazine it can be found here.

New Nature: thank you all!

A few months ago, toying with the idea of starting up an online magazine written and produced entirely by young people, I had hoped a few people may rally to the notion. I had hoped that some may be interested in reading such a document and others, particularly a few notable figures in the environmental field may like the idea enough to support it. Well, as we countdown to the “official” launch of ‘New Nature’ on January 2nd, I can safely say that all expectations have been exceeded. Tenfold. And that I am incredibly grateful to the support we have received thus far.

The logic behind ‘New Nature’ centers on showcasing the natural world through the eyes of the next generation, and, perhaps more importantly, providing said young people with a supportive, open-to-all, outlet for their views. With this in mind, I was delighted when so many people expressed an interest in getting involved and bringing the magazine to life. And as such, must offer resounding thanks to Alex Pearce, Alice Johnson and Alysia Schuetzle for flinging themselves in at the deep end and dedicating an awful lot of time to creating our first issue. It really is appreciated.

The next round of thanks goes to our contributors: to the exceptional young people who, thus far, have contributed no end of passionate writing, excellent photography and other interesting titbits for inclusion in the magazine. Among these, many exceptionally dedicated young nature lovers I am familiar with through membership of A Focus on Nature, but also many more! Reading your work has proven nothing short of inspirational and has filled many usually dull Winter nights of late. I hope that all involved so far will enjoy the magazine and continue to submit articles long into the future!

Finally, I must also offer a huge thank you to all those who have supported ‘New Nature’ thus far. To each and every person who has drawn attention to our efforts on social media, reblogged articles and helped by alternate means. This includes Chris Packham, who has very kindly offered to provide signed copies of his fantastic new book ‘Fingers in the Sparkle Jar” as prizes to our contributors. But also to BSBI, The Wildlife Trusts, AFON and the BTO for helping promote our cause. I hope that, someday, we can repay the favour…

Really, I cannot stress enough how grateful I am for everything that has transpired so far. And I know I speak for the rest of the team when I say that I hope we live up to expectations. Of course, it is going to be hit and miss for a while until as iron out the kinks associated with a venture of this kind but, with your support, we are confident that in the long run, we can create something that is not only enjoyable but supportive and beneficial to our contributors.

Thank you and happy new year to all!

The Logic Behind ‘New Nature’

Anyone who follows me on social media may have noticed the incessant waffling about a new “project” of mine. Well, said project is now coming along nicely and, as such, I thought I would post a quick summary here. Both to drum up support and assess the reaction of the many lovely eco-minded folk I have the pleasure to know online.

Truthfully, I have been toying with the idea of starting an e-magazine for quite some time, but due to other commitments have been unable to progress. Now, however, with the help of a number of fellow A Focus On Nature members, the idea appears to have taken off. And I am pleased to announce that January will, hopefully, see the launch of ‘New Nature’ – a brand new electronic magazine written, produced and edited entirely by young people in the environmental field. Hooray!

The ‘Youth Nature Movement’ really is a thing of beauty and one need only read this recent guest blog by Ben Eagle to see that it is gaining momentum, fast. Groups like AFON and Next Generation Birders have created a vibrant community of young conservationists: offering support, advice and wonderful opportunities for those seeking to forge a career in the field. They have worked wonders for the prospects and even the self-esteem of young people. And, as such, more and more aspiring environmentalists are involving themselves annually. The movement is gaining steam, but, aside from the highly interesting AFON blog – which I really advise you to visit and enjoy – lacks a serious media outlet. This is something that alongside Alex, Laura and Connel, I hope to rectify.

In New Nature, we hope to collate the fabulous work of young people (between the ages of 13 and 30) and broadcast it far and wide on the internet. We hope to create a hub for news and exciting revelations and highlight the passion, dedication and talent of young naturalists in the eyes of potential employers. As well as offering said young people with interesting and, in some cases, useful information themselves. Based on our initial ideas, the e-magazine looks set to contain a huge variety of topics. From conservation news, creative writing, opinion and good news stories from younger writers: to trip-reports, careers advice, interviews, promotions and photography. We hope to highlight the great work of those involved in the YNM: their research, practical conservation work, artwork and much, much more. And while we may have our work cut out for us – creating something of this sort was never going to be easy – the initial tidal wave of submissions and interest has given us hope. It can and will be done.

New Nature will be released online, and made available on our various social media channels (see Twitter and Facebook) – and we hope that it will be shared far and wide on the web. It will, of course, be free and will be easily accessed by anyone with an interest in the work of young people. We sincerely hope that the idea will catch on, and hope that anyone interested would be so kind as to share the magazine -upon its completion – and draw attention, where possible, to our social media accounts. We will also be running a blog to coincide with our release, which should be up and running very soon.

Stay tuned for updates here too, the next few months look set to be jolly exciting…