We are increasingly coming round to the fact that the future of every one of us depends on a healthy natural world with functional and diverse ecosystems supporting our economy, health and well-being. This much is true, but are we succeeding in making that nature-secure future a reality? Is everyone aware of what this really means and acting accordingly? Looking around, it seems not.
So – would there be better decision making at home, in industry, business, government and the public sector if nature was much more integrated into our lives? What would it look like if employees in British companies – from the youngest apprentice right through to the CEO – understood ecology and natural history and applied that to their world of work?
These were the questions Curlew Action and Robin Walker MP put to people from diverse sectors – education, energy agriculture, politics, water, construction, fashion, and more. What are the benefits from employing a nature-literate workforce? If that is desirable, is it even possible?
As it stands, there are real problems in recruiting applied naturalists, people who understand nature and can relate that knowledge to the hard world of economics, finance, and business. To put it simply, we don’t have enough people coming through the system with enough natural nous to take on the future green economy.
To address this, Curlew Action is creating a Nature Pathway – a long, broad and deep route through all of education and into the workplace – to produce the savvy naturalists the future desperately needs. Keep following Curlew Action for updates on its progress.
It was a fascinating afternoon with excellent speakers and discussions. A summary is available to download below, please let us know your thoughts.