‘We need to be braver’: young naturalists on the world beyond Cop15

More than 300 young people from around the world are gathering in Montreal for a two-day youth summit ahead of the Cop15 UN biodiversity conference. Here, three young naturalists in the UK tell the Guardian about their favourite wildlife experiences, as well as their hopes – and concerns – for Cop15 and beyond. Mya and Arjun, who feature in a new Guardian documentary, Skyward, which follows the daily life of the two young birdwatchers, and Kabir, another young naturalist from the UK, are fascinated by the natural world but are also alarmed at its decline.

‘My big dream is to be a wildlife presenter’

Mya Bambrick, 20, a student at Bournemouth University
I got into nature when I was eight years old through watching Springwatch. I grew up in an urban area in Crawley, West Sussex, so I wasn’t exposed to wildlife as much as those in rural areas and my family isn’t interested in it. I hassled my mum to take me to a local nature reserve called Warnham. I sat in a hide and the kingfishers really captured my interest – you see them only fleetingly, so it’s always extra special.

For the first five years I was just interested in birds, but then in lockdown I had so much time I got into everything, especially insects and plants. I realised there was much more nature closer to my home than I thought; even along the roads there are wild flowers on the verges. I started identifying them and showing friends and family. I put up a camera trap and saw badgers, roe deer and foxes.

It is quite upsetting how many birds are in decline. I would like my children and grandchildren to see all these birds. Lots of older birders tell me how abundant wildlife used to be – the countryside was full of calling and singing, but it’s more desolate now. It could be even worse in the future if we carry on the way we are. That’s not a nice thought. You need to take the positive conservation stories and cling on to them for hope and motivation.

My big dream is to be a wildlife presenter. During lockdown I made more than 60 wildlife videos to make them accessible for young people. Lots of what you see on TV makes it seem as if you’re only going to see wildlife in far-flung places where most people can’t afford to go. We need to show small things closer to home. I’d like to make realistic shows with stories about things such as invertebrates in the garden, or redwings flying over your house in winter.

Related: Skyward: birdwatching is belonging for two teenage conservationists

Cop15 seems to be a lot of talk and no action. It’s good to start conversations but this is an emergency – everyone needs to make serious decisions and do something. It is getting to the point where it could be too late. In the next 10, 20 or 30 years, we won’t be able to reverse these declines, as species will go extinct.

In conservation, people can be quite traditional and reluctant to try new things. We need to be braver and be doing landscape-scale restoration work, like the rewilding projects in Scotland and places such as Knepp. It’s depressing, but we’re not going to save every species. We can’t just concentrate on specific species, so we need to think about whole landscapes that will positively affect entire ecosystems. Reintroductions of animals such as beavers and wolves – if done correctly – could have such a positive impact.

‘I record birds, knowing I might not see them again’

Arjun Dutta, 19, a student at the University of Cambridge
I was seven when I first became interested in wildlife. My mum had got fed up with me talking about dinosaurs and football, so she dragged me out to do the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. I remember seeing a green woodpecker, and that got me hooked.

My main focus is recording bird sounds. During lockdown, I was still living in London. The city was quieter and I was able to get good recordings, especially that first spring – so many birds were singing. I’ve since got a bit addicted to recording as much as I can: I’ve recorded 158 species of birds in the UK. My favourite is one I made of swifts, because they’re my favourite bird. We had some really nice evenings in 2020, just sitting in the garden listening to swifts screeching above after they’d successfully bred. I recorded them every night. For me, a screaming swift is the sound of the summer.

I am quite an optimistic person but it can be depressing when you hear older people talking about how common swifts, swallows and turtle doves were. I saw a turtle dove for the first time this year, and that could be the last one I see. I try to get recordings of them knowing I might not see them again. It really hits home when you hear from people who have witnessed such dramatic changes.

We cover the biodiversity crisis in my geography course at university, but not as much as the climate crisis. I think there is an opportunity to link them more in the future – climate activists should be biodiversity activists too. People often overlook the biodiversity crisis, although my course has emphasised how Cop27 and Cop15 are linked, and we are being encouraged to have an awareness about what is going on.

I’m not sure what I will do in the future, but I’m pretty sure it will have something to do with nature. Everything to do with biodiversity is what I love most. Tigers are probably the number 1 species I still want to see.

‘To get into wildlife, the best thing is to start locally’

Kabir Kaul, 17, studying for A-levels in London
I was about three when I saw my grandma watching Planet Earth. I was fascinated to see so many beautiful animals from around the world. I later realised amazing wildlife also lived on my doorstep, for example, red kites flying over my house every day.

Related: What is Cop15 and why does it matter for all life on Earth?

Ruislip Lido reservoir is my favourite wildlife spot in the capital. It is a large lake surrounded by scrub and heathland, which is quite rare in London. Hundreds of ducks migrate there for winter, including shoveler and pochard ducks. They migrate from the Arctic and Scandinavia to feed. Whinchats, redstarts and tree pipits were all spotted at the lido during lockdown. They were always there, but when lockdown came people had the time to visit and really look for them. They were hidden well in the scrubland.

My most memorable bird sighting in London was in 2020, just after the first lockdown had been eased. I was walking through Whitechapel on a blustery day when I saw a couple of gulls overhead. Then I saw a larger bird, with a longer neck and a much broader wingspan, soaring between the tall residential blocks – I realised it was a young white stork. It was so close to the City of London. I couldn’t believe it, I was speechless. I was not sure where it had come from, perhaps from mainland Europe. I let other birders know on WhatsApp but I don’t think anyone else saw it.

If people want to get into wildlife, the best thing is to start locally. Don’t spend time identifying different animals and plants if you don’t want to. Just be there in the moment, and enjoy what you see – you never know what you might find. Sixty-eight per cent of people will be living in urban areas by 2050, so there has never been a more crucial time to appreciate urban biodiversity.

I’d like to study geography at university to learn more about the connection between nature and people in urban areas. I’d love to go into broadcasting to promote and raise awareness about urban nature. With the inevitable climate and ecological crises, it is easy to be all doom and gloom, but we must be optimistic about Cop15 and what can be achieved.

I’m a member of the London Rewilding Taskforce, which supports nature recovery in the capital through rewilding. Many amazing projects are already happening, including the reintroduction of beavers in Enfield, and water voles in Kingston. I want to get people from all walks of life involved in protecting the urban nature around them.

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