Earth Day 2024 – can we still have hope for the future?

When I met my first European wolf, Ayla, face to face back in the early 1990s little did I know the journey I was about to embark on which ultimately led me to founding sustainability consultancy Wylde Connections.?

That decade was filled with volunteering on wolf projects, learning about the important and vital role that the wolf, as an apex predator, has in its ecosystems. I learned about all that has been lost following the systematic extirpation of this beautiful creature and what this meant for our planet.

I learned in my own lifetime what a shifting baseline actually means as we all bear witness to the decline in biodiversity and as this generation experiences a new normal in the number of species they can see, hear and interact with.

I see a continuing shifting baseline as I witness countless wild species still being persecuted and slaughtered on the whim of humans predilections and government policy. From billions of insects wiped out each and every growing season as a result of the ubiquitous use and abuse of chemicals right through to large predators still being persecuted and killed for fun and sport.

In the UK, we are now in the bottom 10% for our lack of biodiversity, having lost over 50% of the richness we once enjoyed.

The symbol of the wolf on Earth Day: connecting with nature

My first encounter with Ayla spoke to something much deeper inside me; something that has been with me for the last four decades, driving me forward to this point of not only running a sustainability consultancy and learning organisation but also being an activist and campaigner for justice for our persecuted species.

In October 2023, my daughter, Charlotte, who is also my co-founder at Wylde, joined me on a trip to Yellowstone National Park. We were attending the International Wildlife Coexistence Network inaugural conference, and I got to fulfil a lifelong dream of visiting the world’s first National Park.

The wolf was extirpated from the region and was missing from the ecosystem for over 70 years, but through human endeavour and the passion of a group of dedicated wildlife conservationists, it was finally reintroduced back in 1995, and has since then not only thrived but has wrought remarkable and positive changes on the landscape. All of this meant that Charlotte and I had the absolute pleasure of watching a pack of 23 wolves going about their daily lives as dawn broke over the Yellowstone hills in the Lamar Valley. It’s an experience neither of us will ever forget.

The reason the wolf was wiped out and then restored was down to human perceptions and attitudes of the day; what people feel about an iconic species like the wolf based on their values, beliefs, world views, biases and prejudices. The fact that millions of tourists now flock to the park predominantly to see wolves and bears gives me hope that positive attitudes towards other species can prevail. When we have a true connection with the natural world, miracles can and do happen.

What businesses can do to help

Which brings me to the Business of Biodiversity and Embracing Your Inner Wild

In this modern world, businesses have the biggest impact on the planet and society, and yet the majority of business leaders don’t recognise or acknowledge the role their business operations play in this.

As we face multiple crises and challenges, not least of which is the sharp and rapid decline in biodiversity, one of the key actions business leaders can take today on Earth Day 2024 is to truly understand your value chain and the impacts of your business on the planet and people, both negative and of course positive.

Having full oversight of raw materials and components and where they come, the impacts that manufactured products and goods have during their use and what happens to materials and components at the end of their life cycle is something that all businesses should know if they are to be truly ethical responsible. It also makes good business sense by driving innovation as well as having the advantages of better governance and greater efficiencies.

How can you take action today to tip the balance to having more and more positive impacts??

If every business took just one action today to help restore biodiversity then collectively we will make a huge difference. This gives me hope for the future?

Here are some positive actions you can take:

1) Make a pledge: Support international wildlife conservation. Here's one to start with: www.wildlifecoexistence.org.

2) Harness innovation: Explore alternative materials for products and supply chains that are ecosystem-friendly.

3) Be nature positive: Support local biodiversity through initiatives like tree planting or habitat restoration.

4) Think circular: Embrace the circular economy by reusing, recycling, or reengineering plastic waste.

5) Extend a helping hand: Empower your staff to get involved in local wildlife charities and projects.

6) Spread the word: Engage stakeholders through various channels to raise awareness and inspire action.