2019 will certainly be remembered for the rise of a massive climate youth movement around the world. But, as Paul Hawken clearly identified in his book "Blessed Unrest", back in 2007, movements that are changing the world are leaderless: made up of hundreds of thousands of individual actions and projects on the ground amongst the grassroots. We have had the pleasure to watch one such seed of change develop over the the last three years and, like many others, it fills our hearts with hope. James Common, reveals how New Nature Magazine came into being and how it represents the voice of young writers and wildlife heroes:
The idea behind New Nature Magazine came to me in late 2016 while browsing a popular natural history magazine. Inspiration springing forth as I noted the distinct lack of young writers gracing the glossy, photo-strew pages. Writers whom, whether due to a lack of confidence or opportunity, had seen their passion go unrecognised and their voices unheard. Where were the young people? The members of the youth nature movement: rife with promise, potential and phenomenal talent.
Reaching out through social media to several other young nature writers, it quickly became clear that we were very much on the same page, and that all of us wanted to create something ‘new’. A publication which would provide an outlet for the work and opinions of the young people taking a stand for nature. Those with the courage to poke their heads above the parapet who, despite widespread praise, lacked a dedicated media platform to support and promote their work. Simply put, we hoped to nurture and support young voices, allowing young people their say in a time before it became ‘fashionable’ for larger mainstream environmental organisations to do the same.
With the recruitment of yet more dedicated young naturalists, New Nature Magazine was born. The only natural history magazine written, edited, and produced entirely by the next generation. A magazine released monthly for 14 months, containing everything from opinion pieces and traditional nature writing to reviews, research summaries, trip reports and conservation news. All from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, and in addition to interviews with and careers advice from prominent figures and organisations in the environmental field.
During our first year, New Nature Magazine was downloaded over 20,000 times. People, it seemed, really did care what the younger generation had to say. None more so that the various celebrities and renowned personalities who gave their time freely to offer advice and guidance to our readership. Among them: Chris Packham, Nick Baker, Lucy McRobert, George Monbiot and Gillian Burke. The support of these figures, and that of several conservation organisations, turning our first year into one of roaring success. I know I speak for each one of the volunteers involved when I say that we thoroughly enjoyed it and have adored every moment since.
Have our three years at New Nature been plane sailing? No, not exactly. As an endeavour run entirely by volunteers, it was inevitable that we would hit a few snags. Particularly as members of team set off to university, landed jobs and started families – something which had a profound impact on how much time we could commit to New Nature and, in retrospect, doubtless played a role in a decrease in popularity during our second and third years. Equally, other uphill struggles centred on a complete lack of funding for promotion – the magazine remains self-funded to this day- and, of course, numerous issues centred on the geographic spread of our ever-growing team. With members scattered from Cornwall to Newcastle and the North of Scotland. That is more than enough negativity, however and I am glad to say that all of this thing are being overcome. Largely due to the relentless optimism of those involved and the motivating words of the people out there who still, three years later, tune in to read our content.
So where are we now? Well, doing exactly what we set out to do, I guess: publishing the work of young people passionate about nature. We have a far more professional website, a healthy social media presence and an excellent, dedicated team. Trials and tribulations aside, I am delighted to say that New Nature Magazine is still standing. Some of the faces behind the magazine have changed, sure, and way we do things has shifted somewhat but, importantly, we’re still achieving our core purpose: to broadcast the work of young naturalists far and wide. Despite the lulls, we remain the only publication of our kind and now, refreshed and reformatted, its full steam ahead.
Going forward, we welcome individuals under the age of 30 to submit their articles, ideas, thoughts and views to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We would love to work with you to promote your work and will try to accommodate most topics. We also welcome professionals, academics and supporters outside of our author-bracket to contribute advice and guidance for younger readers.
New Nature can be downloaded quickly and easily via our website. Where you will also find further information about the magazine and the various young writers behind it. For those interested, our latest edition – boasting a focus on everything from Harvest Mice to Anglesey – can be downloaded directly here: bit.ly/2m1ZDtX
As a final note, I would like to offer resounding thanks to Team 4 Nature for their unwavering support of New Nature and all our merry band of volunteers seeks to achieve. We are incredibly grateful for your efforts to spread the word!
James Common, Founder, New Nature Magazine
You can contact James directly via his website at commonbynature.co.uk regarding New Nature or submit work directly to the magazine at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
