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Introduction to Nature Advocacy

As an advocate, your role is not to speak for non-human beings in a literal sense but to stand beside them, amplifying their significance and translating their place in the world for others. You are both an interpreter and a bridge—connecting those who can act with the beings and ecosystems that need their attention.

This role demands humility, responsibility, and empathy. Advocacy is not only about speaking powerfully; it’s also about listening deeply, to the best of your ability, to the beings and systems you represent. You need to balance the use of knowledge (both scientific and traditional), emotional resonance, and spiritual insight while recognising the limitations of human perspectives.

A range of skills can be learned to help you advocate better – and in due course we will be offering free training online and/ or in person. In the meantime, here are some resources and links: 

The Works That Reconnects Embercombe

Core Nature Advocacy Principles

How do we advocate for nature in an effective, heartfelt, and transformative way? How can we speak with, rather than for, the beings and ecosystems we seek to protect?

Our Core Nature Advocacy Principles toolkit provides a practical and philosophical framework for deep, relational advocacy. It offers guidance, exercises, and strategies to help you:

Craft compelling messages that resonate emotionally and intellectually.

Listen deeply to diverse perspectives and tailor your advocacy accordingly.

Use storytelling to foster empathy and inspire action.

Build coalitions that amplify your impact.

Engage non-violently, even in challenging conversations.

Move beyond human-centred thinking, advocating for nature’s intrinsic value.

This toolkit includes practical exercises—from empathy mapping and embodiment practices to mock advocacy sessions and story-crafting workshops—helping you refine your skills and confidence as a nature advocate.

It also explores the philosophical and spiritual foundations of advocacy, drawing from traditions such as Deep Ecology, Buddhism, and Shamanic practices to deepen your connection with the beings you represent.

Nature needs more than just defenders—it needs voices that speak with wisdom, passion, and respect.

Want to learn more? Please do get in touch.

Nature Reconnection Toolkit

Our Nature Reconnection Toolkit offers a structured approach to rediscovering your place within the web of life. Using an adapted matrix of “Nature Connection Stages”, this resource helps you identify where you are on your journey—from feeling distant or indifferent to nature, to experiencing deep ecological belonging and interbeing. Whether you’re just beginning to explore or seeking transformative practices, our toolkit provides guidance, exercises, and tools to help you move towards a richer, more reciprocal relationship with nature.

We also recognise that accessibility matters. Physical, cultural, social, and psychological barriers can shape our experience of nature connection. That’s why our toolkit includes adaptable methods to meet diverse needs, ensuring everyone can find their path.
This resource is designed for I Stand Beside members, but if you’d like to know more, do please get in touch with us!

The Challenge

Global assessments demonstrate that the integrity, species richness, and spatial extent of natural ecosystems are eroding rapidly, driven by habitat conversion, pollution, invasive species, and human‑driven climate change, all acting in concert. Below, we outline some of the most urgent global and UK-specific statistics on the state of nature.

Global State of Nature

Global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era.

IPCC Report

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

About 50% of the world's coral reefs have been lost in the past 30 years.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Coral Restoration Foundation

Approximately 40% of amphibian species are at risk of extinction.

IUCN Red List

Amphibian Survival Alliance

Approximately one-third of the world's assessed fish stocks are overexploited.

Our World in Data

Marine Stewardship Council

35% of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, face extinction globally.

Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

Pollinator Partnership

State of Nature in the UK

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with widespread habitat loss and species decline. Below are some of the key statistics about British wildlife:

One in six species is at risk of being lost from Great Britain.

State of Nature Report 2023

National Biodiversity Network (UK)

The UK Nightingale population has declined by approximately 92% since 1970.

British Trust for Ornithology

British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)

Hedgehog numbers in rural areas of the UK have declined by 50% since 2000.

The State of Britain's Hedgehogs 2022 Report

British Hedgehog Preservation Society

The Turtle Dove population in the UK has decreased by 98% since 1970.

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

Operation Turtle Dove

The Common Toad population in the UK has declined by 68% over the past 30 years.

Froglife

What Can We Do?

The statistics above paint a sobering picture, but there is hope. By taking action through conservation efforts, habitat restoration, policy advocacy, and personal choices, we can help reverse these trends. At I Stand Beside, we offer resources, tools, and pathways to help individuals and communities reconnect with nature, build communities of care and contribute to meaningful change.