Activism & Advocacy
Why this Matters?
Nature recovery depends on more than projects and policies — it needs people.
The Isle of Wight’s Biosphere is built on a simple idea: when local people take part, systems change. Whether you’re restoring a verge, joining a forum, or questioning a new plan, every act of participation shapes the Island’s future.
Activism here means active citizenship — the daily practice of noticing, caring, and taking part in the decisions that affect the places we share.
Island Citizenship
The Isle of Wight’s small scale gives us something powerful — visibility. We can see where change happens, and where it’s needed.
Island citizenship means taking part, not standing by. It’s about paying attention to the places you know best, asking good questions, and working together for better outcomes.
Active citizenship grows from everyday actions — joining conversations, supporting community projects, or helping to shape decisions that affect the Island’s land and water. Each act of participation strengthens our shared stewardship of this place.
Start Where You Are
Every action begins close to home. The best place to start is where you already have influence — your garden, school grounds, workplace, or community space.
Look around and notice what’s happening in your patch. Are there corners that could stay wild? Rainwater that could be saved? People already doing good work?
Join in, add your effort, share what you learn. When small actions are visible, they encourage others to act too.
Participation doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to begin.
Learning and Knowledge
Understanding is at the heart of effective activism.
When we know how systems work — from river catchments and planning policies to biodiversity data — we can act with confidence and help decisions hold together across the Island.
Learning is activism in slow motion: reading, asking questions, joining workshops, or simply observing what lives nearby.
It builds the awareness that turns small projects into collective recovery.
Ways to learn and share knowledge:
Sign up for the Island Nature Forum Newsletter.
Read the Isle of Wight Local Nature Recovery books.
Take part in citizen-science projects — from bat surveys to beach counts.
Learn how local planning and environmental policy work — and how to engage with them constructively.
Learning strengthens decision-making. The more we understand about how the Island works, the better placed we are to protect and restore it.
Care, not Conflict
Change happens through collaboration, not blame.
Working for nature on a small island means working with everyone who lives and works here — local authorities, landowners, water companies, charities, residents.
Hold organisations accountable with honesty and respect.
Ask for transparency — “What’s being done?” rather than “Who’s at fault?”
Acknowledge progress when it happens; encouragement builds momentum.
Stay focused on outcomes that make the whole Island better for wildlife and people alike.
Being an active citizen means holding space for dialogue — even when it’s difficult.
Ask clear, respectful questions, celebrate progress, challenge where needed, and keep the conversation open.
Practical Island Activism
There are many ways to take part in the Island’s recovery — from daily habits to community-scale projects.
Choose one or two that feel right for you and begin where you are.
Observe and Listen
Notice what’s changing in your area — the water levels, the hedges, the birds.
Keep a simple record or share what you see with local groups and forums.
Good activism starts with paying attention.
Join and Support
Volunteer for a planting day, survey or beach clean.
Attend public meetings or drop-in sessions to share local knowledge.
Your perspective and effort help shape decisions that affect nature.
Advocate and Communicate
Ask good questions: “How does this project support our LNRS/Biosphere/National Landscape goals?” or “What data informs this plan?”
Write, speak or post about what’s working well — stories of success inspire change.
Keep conversations constructive and inclusive.
Model Good Practice
Show what’s possible — create a small wildlife area, reduce lighting, compost waste, plant for pollinators.
Visible examples encourage others to follow your lead.
Encourage and Celebrate
Acknowledge progress when it happens and thank those making it.
Celebrating small wins builds momentum and keeps people motivated to continue.
Island-wide Impact
Collective activism is already shaping change here:
Parish projects restoring verges and wetlands.
Community groups influencing planning and flood schemes.
Schools adopting wildlife-friendly management.
Residents holding conversations that join dots between housing, water and biodiversity.
These examples show what’s possible when people and organisations act together for the Island’s shared environment.
A different kind of activism
This is not about outrage — it’s about stewardship. It’s slower, more relational, and often quieter, but it lasts.
On the Isle of Wight, activism can mean walking the boundaries of your parish, noticing the return of wildflowers in a verge, or recording the first bats of the season.
It might be writing to support a planning change, starting a community compost scheme, or helping a neighbour create a small pond.
Sometimes it simply means helping others see that the Island’s future is a shared one.
The most powerful activism is often the quietest: the decision to stay present, to keep noticing, and to keep working with others for the long term. That kind of care doesn’t fade; it builds the foundations for recovery.
Resources
Isle of Wight Council – Environment & Planning Consultations
Southern Water – Pollution Performance
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust – Get Involved
CPRE – How to Engage in Local Planning
Friends of the Earth – Community Groups Toolkit
Surfers Against Sewage - UK charity campaigning for the ocean
Final Straw Foundation - UK charity tackling marine and coastal pollution
“Supports LNRS measures OV1.1, OV1.6, and OV1.8, promoting community participation, ecological democracy, and place-based stewardship across the Isle of Wight Biosphere.”