Q: Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

A:  Hiya! My name is Lily, and I’m sixteen years old. I live in Radnorshire with my parents and older brother Lucas, who recently started living with us. Inside school I love English Literature, Art and History, and outside of school I love reading, writing and talking about books, painting and music. I love being in and around nature, even though I’m not a very science - smart person, I love learning new things about the world around us.

Q: How did you hear about the Wildlife and Climate Camp?

A: I’d been to the Willow Globe before a few summers ago to do a poetry writing exercise, and so when my mother suggested the camp I thought it sounded like a brilliant idea.

Q: What sort of activities did you do at the camp, did you have a favourite?

A: We did so much, and I have so many wonderful memories. Some things I remember in particular are when we went butterfly catching, placard making and tonnes of creative writing which was fantastic. We had lots of fascinating people come in the afternoons and evening to either do activities with us, or have at our campfire circles which was so interesting and so so cool that we were able to interact with these people and learn so much new information.

Q: Which area are you most interested in nature or climate?

A: Like I said I love generally learning about nature, and what we can do to help the climate crisis, but probably for me the part of nature that interests me the most is the generational sexism and human ideals/ prejudices that have lead to and spawned so many misconceptions about the animal kingdom, and uncovering them to see how a totally different system works for different animals.

Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the camp?

A: Question everything. If you’re interested in something or you have a passion, explore it and question as many people as you can about it, because the only possible way you can learn is through other people and the resources you allow yourself to have, so just ask a tonne of questions; and if you don’t think something is right or fair, then you are allowed a say, because this is our planet too, and it’s not just up to the businessmen in suits.

Q: 6 months on and looking back, do you think about the camp at all?

A: I think about it a lot, my friends and family are probably bored of hearing about it by now, but all of us kids that went to the camp together, are all on a group chat with each other that we regularly chat on, and we’ve met up outside of the camp since then. We also have a Climate Cafe once a month or so, which is really lovely to meet up and see each other again. It was a truly amazing and valuable experience for me.

Q: What do you think about the Climate Cafes that have continued online?

A: I think they are totally awesome! It’s so refreshing to have a group of completely like-minded people to talk to, and discuss not just nature and climate change with, but also politics and activism.

Q: Would you recommend Stand for Nature Wales to other young people?

A: Absolutely, if the rest of it is anything like the Climate Camp, then I imagine it’s totally phenomenal.

Click here for the Stand for Nature Wales page