Harveet PurewalCommon Heather
My home address is heather road so quite apt! Heather flowers are also extremely pretty and have immense ecological importance in heathland/moorland habitats as a native species. On a personal note, heather is one of the first iconic plants I saw when I had my first experience camping and hiking in the peak district for just under half a month after my alevel exams. Although I didn’t know what heather was at the time, I vividly remember the moors covered in vibrant, blooming purple flowers. Also some of my best and most serene experiences in nature have been in moorlands where I often see heather growing. There is something somewhat poetic about how such a beautiful small bush can grow in a windswept landscape of the UK’s moors. Heather helped me discover my passion for plants and cured my plant blindness. Heather also has deep cultural significance which is very heartwarming as my own culture (punjabi) has a deep cultural and spiritual affinity to land and soil. Although there is increasing awareness around the importance of heather and its conservation efforts, heather moorland remains a fragile ecosystem, with alarming amounts of heather moorland being lost each year mainly due to pressures from overgrazing which I witnessed first hand in the peak district during that same hiking trip.
As a young nature/climate policy advocate, I am standing with my being by advocating for the protection of heather moorlands and other important ecosystems for their biodiversity and role as carbon sinks, representing the collective demands of young people across the globe in the run up to COP30 with YOUNGO – the UNFCCC youth constituency.
I have co-written the biodiversity and climate section of YOUNGO’s Global Youth Statement – a synthesis of the policy demands and proposals of young people across the world for COP30. I have also participated in a field ecology course during which I explored the threats and conservation efforts surrounding peatland and moorlands in the peak district – my nearest national park.