General Secretary Blog : The beauty of nature.

At this time of year, it is hard not to notice the beauty of nature. We are surrounded by daffodils, crocuses and tulips; with shades of green emerging as new leaves begin to unfurl on the trees. I appreciate the lighter evenings that changing the clocks brings - while I begrudge the lost hour of weekend time a tiny bit! The small things, like walking our our dog, formerly a dark - often wet - ‘ambulation’ (the word we use so the dog doesn’t know what’s about to happen) is now a more pleasant ramble in our local woodland. Finding the motivation for a morning run is also so much easier in the daylight as the sun moves North and the days grow longer.

This year, most of the spring flowers arrived at the usual time. However there were some noticeable peculiarities that must have been connected to the unusually hot summer and mild winter. Those blossoms I mentioned, for instance, some of which bloomed in November. Wisterias in surrounding gardens (including our own) flowered twice. I am waiting to see if certain other plants in our garden will revive after last year’s drought. And didn’t many of us feel like we were shopping in lockdown as we struggled to access usual produce like tomatoes and peppers?

There can be no denying that the impacts of climate change are showing. In the UK, we are getting off lightly; in the past few years alone, other countries have been ravaged by fires, floods, extreme snow storms and droughts.

It is no wonder, then, that so many people - especially the young people we work with - are feeling anxious about their futures and what the world might come to look like.

I was part of the initial conversation that led to the motion on climate change, brought to the 2019 AGM. The motion was widely supported across the membership and was subsequently passed. The motion was not just words – it has resulted in real action and the AEP has already achieved so many of the targets set.

It is not only the Climate Emergency motion that will be prompting me to attend the Big One event that is being organised by Extinction Rebellion. I will be attending because I am appalled by the impact human beings have had on our planet and frightened about the world my son and so many children and young people will inherit. I will also be attending because, even though we are not yet doing enough I live in hope that we can all collectively do better, as we have as an association and profession.

Will you be there? Show that EPs can use our positivity and resources to change the world in more ways than one.