Our National Park Ambassadors

I love the outdoors, especially our National Parks. I was fortunate enough to grow up visiting Northumberland National Park (NNP) nearly every week with my dad. The rolling hills and hidden valleys are a place of solitude and wonder. Since 2019, I have volunteered with NNP learning a plethora of skills. For instance, I have carried out peatland restoration, surveyed public rights of way, waxcaps and lichens and worked with youth groups on navigation days. As well as this, I partook in Generation Green. I am also studying a degree in environmental science, which has given me a greater insight into the current environmental crises we face, and the innovative scientific research going on in response.

“After being nominated for the Volunteer of the Year award with Campaign for National Parks, I have since become their first Ambassador. I am passionate about learning the intricacies on how our National Parks can be further protected through campaigning and legislation; and about working alongside other young people who share the same passions to safeguard our National Parks for our future.

My affinity for the natural world has always been part of what makes me, me. My childhood was full of stomping round moorland and muddy woods in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. I joined in on my first tree planting at the age of 5 . The landscape of the national park was my childhood comfort and my escape. I’ve always counted myself incredibly lucky to have had access to this environment and a great passion of mine is to share it with others. Getting people engaged with our National Parks is the driving force behind my filmmaking business Kittiwake Productions which I set up during Covid.

I’ve been involved in the environmental sector as a volunteer for Friends of the Dales for over a decade, and I have a strong interest in local history, heritage and conservation. Early in 2020 I worked for the Capturing the Past project, leading the digital archiving of the Yorkshire Dales Review. I read every one of the 150 editions published at that point. To say this was a crash course in Dales environmental history is an understatement. This gave me the inspiration for the short documentary on sustainable farming which I created through a Campaign for National Parks New Perspectives Bursary in 2022. A highlight of 2022 was the unexpected opportunity to attend the National Park Societies Annual Conference, hosted by the Snowdonia Society, as a delegate from Friends of the Dales. Listening to people who have been involved in the environmental sector for decades was incredibly informative however it brought into sharp contrast the need for a broader range of people and views, especially from younger voices.

I’m incredibly excited to be an Ambassador for Campaign for National Parks and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.

I have been heavily into landscape photography for about 10 years after I discovered it provided a wonderful escape from the my home-office where I work as graphic and web designer. It’s always refreshing to get out of the house and up a hill, especially as the sun rises or sets, and having a camera there allows me to be creative for myself rather than to a client’s brief. I always come back revitalised and with a clearer perspective.

In 2019 I entered the Campaign for National Parks 70th Anniversary Photography Competition, and was bowled over to find my image of Parkhouse Hill was chosen as the winner. I had a few radio and TV interviews, and it was very odd seeing the image in newspapers and magazines for a while afterwards. But while the attention was great while it lasted, I’m pleased that in the longer term I’ve gained an awareness of some of the work the Campaign for National Parks do in protecting and stewarding the locations I so often visit.

I was delighted to become part of the Campaign for National Parks Ambassador team as it means that I can help, in some small way, to promote their work with images I capture, and spread their messages in the networks I’m part of. Given I spend so much time in these locations, it feels only right to give something back in this way.

I’ve always enjoyed being outside in nature. From an early age, family holidays in National Parks such as the Lake District were sources of excitement and adventure. Though I do not live in a National Park, I live in the countryside near the Chiltern Hills where I regularly walk, cycle and horse ride. As well as this, I have a passion for protecting biodiversity that lives within both terrestrial and marine National Parks. I’m also currently doing my degree in Global Development.

I first became involved with Campaign for National Parks in Spring 2023 when I started volunteering as a Youth Advisor discussing barriers faced by young people accessing National Parks. Fast forward a year to 2024 and I am absolutely delighted and excited to be an Ambassador for Campaign for National Parks.

I’ve always had a close relationship with National Parks – I grew up one the edge of the Eryri National Park in Dyffryn Nantlle. Having the Park within walking distance left a permanent mark on me growing up.

After moving to the city, my route back to the countryside was mainly as a volunteer for the University climbing club. I brought people to our national landscapes every weekend, hillwalking, running or climbing in Pembrokeshire, Gower, the Peak or Eryri. I started volunteering as an access rep, trying to reduce barriers for people and improve public access, and during the covid-19 lockdown I applied for and was given a role as campaigns and policy officer with the British Mountaineering Council. Through that role I’ve tried to fly the flag for the benefits of nature connection, but speak on the need for reform, and to reexamine the way our designated landscapes are defined, funded, and enjoyed.

Nature connection is a key metric for a sustainable future, and this is an area for which I hope to be an advocate. I hope I can be a good ambassador for Campaign for National Parks, and I’m really excited to be a part of the team.

Since I was a child, I have been roaming the hills and mountains of the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, and Lake District National Parks. Something about their rugged beauty and undulating landscapes captured my imagination. I wanted to turn over every stone and climb every tree. I was always hungry for adventure.

As I grew older, I realized that I was only one of very few people of colour exploring these beautiful hills. Despite diverse communities living across the North West, there are multiple systemic barriers preventing equal access to Nature. These include: transport, education, expense, accommodation, and discrimination.

These insights were further realized whilst completing my postgraduate research in migration, belonging and race in Britain. As a result of this work, I firmly believe our National Parks must become safe and supportive spaces for all people across the UK.

As an Ambassador I want to continue the legacy of the incredible Mosaic project by creating pathways for underrepresented communities to access and enjoy our National Park. Moreover, as a believer in grassroots organizations, I hope to platform and collaborate with the amazing work taking place locally across England and Wales. On a personal note, I hope to bring my creativity, enthusiasm, and joy to the amazing projects taking place across Campaign for National Parks!