Young people should have a say on the issues affecting our lives. As the Youth Council, we want to empower other young people to take action for the natural world and their communities.
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The RSPB Youth Council is an active group of young people, aged 16-24, with a strong passion for nature. Our aim is to ensure that young people are given a seat at the table within the RSPB and beyond.
We all have the drive and the power to change the world. Young people will play the most critical role in the fight for our future, our people and our world - we have the most to lose, but will not give up easily. Through media engagement, policy design and much more, we bring a vibrant, innovative voice to the RSPB and the wider environmentalist movement. This creativity and optimism is what keeps us motivated and ready to make change.
If you want to get involved with the RSPB Youth Council and stay updated about future opportunities, email us at youthcouncil@rspb.org.uk
Together, we discuss ideas, help shape the RSPB’s work, attend events and ensure that young people are represented in everything we do. Here we share what we're passionate about and explain what it's like to be a part of the Youth Council.
(She/Her)
Living in Scotland, I have had the chance to experience so many of the natural wonders that this country has to offer, furthering my love for the environment and my motivation to protect it. Every encounter I have with nature strengthens my determination to play my part in conserving and campaigning for the natural world. I am currently studying ecology and conservation at St. Andrews University, devoting my spare time to creative pursuits and volunteering with different environmental organisations across the UK helping to inspire younger generations to become involved in the protection of the natural world. Being on the Youth Council allows me the opportunity of a platform to raise my voice, connect with other young conservationists all over the UK and work to help break down the barriers preventing young people from accessing nature.
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Hi, I’m Alfie and I’m a Zoology Student from Plymouth with a passion for wildlife conservation and safeguarding biodiversity for future generations. Our ecosystems are under threat, both in the UK and across the world, and, every day, I feel motivated to make an impact in protecting them. I love being a part of the Youth Council as I get to be a part of making positive change in a wide range of areas, whilst working alongside some amazing young activists who are just as passionate as I am! I feel optimistic about the future of our planet and I’m proud to be a part of the youth movement working to protect wildlife around the world.
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(She/Her)
Nothing changes if it isn’t challenged. Being a part of the RSPB Youth Council feels like being a part of something bigger, and it makes me feel that I’m not alone in the challenge to save nature. I never grew up from being a kid who loves to delve her head into a huge animal encyclopaedia, and nowadays I love nothing more than nurturing my love of the natural world by exploring my local green spaces and finding wildlife.
I care deeply about environmentalism and sustainability, and I’m a firm believer that good done somewhere is good done everywhere. Online I share my love of natural science communication, wildlife (especially fungi!) and eco-activism. The Youth Council is helping fuel the fire in my belly to work with an equally passionate team to give nature a voice!
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(She/Her)
As a member of the RSPB Youth Council, I bring my enthusiasm for standing up for nature and my personal interest in tackling the climate crisis. I am currently an a-level student studying Geography, Politics and German in Devon with a love for the outdoors and surfing. Outside of my studies, I am involved in many environmental organisations and have previously been very active within Fridays For Future and the climate strike movement.
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I’m Kabir Kaul, a conservationist and wildlife writer from London. I raise awareness of urban wildlife in the capital and beyond, and how people can protect nature in cities. The Youth Council is a group of young people from across the UK, passionate about youth engagement in conservation. It is always exciting to exchange ideas with like-minded wildlife enthusiasts, amplifying the RSPB’s youth voice within, and outside of the organisation.
The opportunities to contribute to the RSPB’s work are immense; I have particularly enjoyed taking part in campaigns like Hen Harrier Day, writing for Wingbeat magazine and speaking at the AGM. I look forward to working with the Youth Council to inform young people of the issues our wildlife faces today and the difference they can make for nature on their doorstep.
(She/Her)
I'm slowly working towards becoming an environmental activist including re-starting the Fridays for Future strikes in London and helping build a new hedgehog rescue group in my area. I've been on the Council for a while and we're finally making headway into being more integrated into the RSPB so that we are sharing our insights more often and we’re more in charge of our own manifesto and the way we'd like the Council to operate.
I personally enjoy it because there's opportunity for team projects and more individual tasks. What's also good about the RSPB is that it focuses on why we want to save wildlife rather than why we need to stop ecological destruction. That’s to say the members of the Council have all come from backgrounds of loving nature not driven by fear but by fascination. I'm still trying to figure out what drives me; it goes from the little things like making sure the swifts have a box to nest in this year all the way up to keeping the panet stable.
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Hello, my name is Thomas and I have been a Youth Council member since 2018 when it was called the Phoenix Forum. I am currently studying Ecology and Conservation at Sheffield University and would like to work in conservation biology, looking for new species and preventing extinctions. As a member of this fantastic group, I have met people from all walks of life and have gained a lot of insight, skills and confidence to use what I have learned.
My favourite experience was attending the 2021 IUCN Global Youth Summit, (virtually), where I spoke to people from all over the world about nature, conservation, and the importance of young people in decision-making.
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I'm Luke and I'm a naturalist and conservationist. I love being part of the Youth Council because it is such an inspiring group of amazing young people. We are creating more and more opportunities within the organisation, and it is exciting to be part of the movement.
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I’ve always had a profound interest in all disciplines of the natural world, yet perhaps above all stands my long-standing fascination with the interconnectivity of every living thing on this planet – the fact that every single individual species contributes in its own unique way to the survival of our global collective. I think this is true of conservation too. Every one of us is significant not only in the global ecosystem but also in the fight to protect it.
The Youth Council is a fantastic, inspiring group working to do just that – I joined it to be able to play my part in helping nature on a national scale and am already beyond excited at what we are achieving together!
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(He/Him)
Change is something which can easily occur if you actively pursue it. The Youth Council offers an opportunity for like-minded individuals to raise awareness of conservation and wildlife and the perils it faces.
From an early age, wildlife has always fascinated me. Its diversity is amazing, and its ability to adapt is astonishing. Through social media, I do my utmost to promote and raise awareness on a host of subjects related to the natural world. For me, there is a real importance in sharing the joyous encounters, but also highlighting the threat species and habitats are facing. For a voice to be heard, every avenue open to you has to be explored.
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The Youth Council has had many successes over the years, and they just keep getting better! Here are a few of our proudest moments:
After the monumental documentary ’Wild Isles’, a group called ‘Young Voices for Nature’ was formed: a collaboration between the RSPB, WWF and National Trust. Through this, a film project was proposed to create a youth-led, youth-made film, about nature and wildlife in the UK to inspire young people who felt disconnected from nature and young naturalists alike to make change.
Young people from across the organisations came together to make workshops to teach people how to tell an effective story and eventually to create the fantastic film 'Our Beautiful Wild' which you can watch here. We also created brilliant resources for storytelling and hosting film screenings which can be found here.
Together, we have inspired hundreds of people to take action for nature and have created a platform to share the voices of young people who are passionate about our environment.
We have been working with BTO’s Youth Advisory Panel and WWF-UK’s Youth Ambassadors to create the ‘Youth in Nature Summit’. Taking place on the 17-18th February 2024, this is an event shaped by young people for young people and aims to inspire, empower and unite young people and leaders from across the environmental sector.
We have worked with other young ambassadors across the UK to choose the summit's theme, contact inspiring speakers and shape workshops. Find out more information about the event here.
After building our profile internally, we've now been given the opportunity to represent young people on the RSPB Committees! Youth Council members now sit on various committees within the organisation. This means we now have an even better way to push for change and make sure young people's voices are heard.
Although we have had many successes, it is also important that we celebrate the unsung hero of activism: community! Being on the Youth Council has given us the opportunity to create a fantastic network of inspiring young naturalists. Being an activist is hard, and often leads to feeling very overwhelmed and burnt out. But being a part of the Youth Council allows us to support each other, and reminds us of what we're fighting for.
Our residential trips are the perfect opportunity for us to connect face-to-face, come up with creative ideas to make a change and have fun while doing it! We've had the opportunity to visit beautiful areas like the Cairngorms and Knepp Estate, learn all about the different kinds of conservation work going on across the UK and get some practical experience while we're there.
