Planetary

Collaboration

“How do we create a future in which both people and nature can thrive? We open our eyes to this moment in history. Think on a planetary scale.” - Sir David Attenborough, Our Planet

There are many ways in which we can all collaborate for the good of the planet.  Connecting with each other, with educators, organisations, groups and charities, and working together towards a common goal through joined-up thinking is the most important step we can all take. Alongside reducing waste and rewilding our environment, collaboration will significantly increase the power and scale of change and open the door to increased opportunities and support.  Planetary wants to help strengthen the difference any one single person can make and enable the overwhelming necessity of saving the planet to become more achievable together!

 

Schools

Students are set to play a crucial role in helping the environment in the coming years, and there is a strong call for environmental topics to be included within school curriculums.  Not only can schools produce powerful change within their own communities, they are at the centre of our planet’s future, with budding scientists, conservationists, inventors, politicians and lawmakers – the next generation hold all the keys! Students, partner schools, universities and organisations (environmental and corporate) should connect and collaborate. This will expose students to important roles and projects, through committees, workshops, eco-conferences and national objectives – constructive follow-up to striking for change. Collaboration can lead to exposure to experts, development of knowledge and career opportunities to create bigger change than ever imagined.

Organisations

Students can study projects and get involved practically by collaborating with organisations.  Local wildlife trusts, for example, may be able to run workshops and facilitate a joint project, or you may be able to arrange a visit and take your learning outside to experience nature first hand!

Universities

There are currently 63 universities in the UK offering 243 Undergraduate Environmental Science courses –  that’s a lot of potential for collaboration! Schemes for students to supervise and advise on projects, collect data for their own studies, do research and provide reports on student projects by partnering with a school present an amazing opportunity for connecting and for recording and measuring school or community project impact!

Communities

Schools are well positioned to be their own Eco Hub at the heart of their community.  Projects do not have to be limited to within school grounds… why not collaborate with community groups and leaders, parish councillors and district councils to find out how a planned project could benefit the wider community?  Supported by organisations and experts, vital and important changes could be made to your area to benefit the environment!

Individuals

Alone you can make a difference… but groups can make a bigger difference! Campaigns can be soft and local, or hard and national, such as Extinction Rebellion’s national campaign of awareness. Another is to get together with your friends, form a group and campaign about issues locally that harm the environment. Remember, it is Your World, Your Future, and that can start with the area where you live or go to school. Imagine how effective multiple local campaigns could be around the country in improving local environments, and then imagine the impact this could have overall!

Local Companies

Businesses, organisations and companies have a vital role to play in collaboration for the environment. From plastic manufacturers to food production, energy / oil companies, farming and factories… much can be achieved when corporations step forward to support green ambitions. Local company support can make a huge difference by sponsoring project collaboration, not only for the cause but also their own  environmental image.

Watch

Where do the SDG's fit in?

The Planetary Scale:

Collaboration enhances our efforts towards every single one of the 17 UN SDGs!  This is why, as a solution for Earth’s environmental issues, it is becoming ever more important. World leaders are learning to collaborate internationally to solve the issues; between countries and organisations. But there are many accessible projects, schemes and activities in support of every goal happening across the globe, sometimes right on our doorsteps; it is only by connecting that the whole world can learn about these movements, discover new ways to improve our environment and ultimately collaborate on important innovative projects to share in widespread, positive impact for our planet.  Unless we join the dots soon and all work together to innovate, activate and demonstrate new and  impactful ways to take action collectively, opportunities to make  improvements on a global scale will be missed, in what is now a race against time…

Be the example, collaboration starts with YOU!

 

Your Future

Do you look at the projects featured across our site and think ‘I could do that if I had the support’? By collaborating with experts, organisations and likeminded people you can turn your ideas for saving the planet into reality!  Not only is completing a project an amazing ‘feel good’ boost (especially when it benefits the environment!) you will learn important skills for the future and make incredible connections.  In a time where gaining experience is important, why not help to solve Earth’s issues at the same time?

 

What's the Solution?

CONNECT

by reaching out to other students or people in your community; local groups, organisations and companies, university lecturers or students – find as many as you can who share the same mission!

 

JOIN THE DOTS

by planning your project with everybody on board; set targets and decide what you can achieve if you all take responsibility for action!

 

WORK TOGETHER

to achieve your goals with increased support  and create positive change on a big scale. THERE IS POWER IN NUMBERS!

 

Ask Yourself 5 Simple Questions:

Idea

Do I have an idea that could benefit the environment & SDGs?

Scale

Is my idea small or could it grow into something bigger?

Support

Can I do this alone? Would it work better with support?

Who

Who would my ideal collaborators be?

How

How can others help you? How can you connect with them?

Take Action for Collaboration!

What can you do to help your environment & future?

Start the change...

Tips for being more aware of preventing harm to the environment through every day actions

Don’t sit around… get active! Take photos and post them on social media. Show everybody that doing something good for the environment, alone or with friends, is far better than posting photos of you doing nothing. Become an influencer and inspire others!

 

Get talking! The most simple way to start collaborating for our planet is to speak about the  issues and the steps it would take to resolve them.  Our ‘Learn’ pages provide a good starting point for discussion!

 

Follow social media influencers fighting for our planet! Get involved by commenting and joining in discussions on environmental topics and issues, and find out what other people have to say/are doing to help.

 

Contact local environmental groups and organisations such as your local wildlife trust to discover any workshops that can be presented in your school or community group. Knowledge is power and learning from experts  will help expand your understanding and network for future project support!

 

Support charities – they rely purely on people coming together!  Whether this is by donating or simply to raise awareness, charity events facilitate the coming together of individuals to work towards a common goal or solution. Collaboration is therefore vitally  important and a great place to build a network of likeminded people and working together.

 

Research local projects in and around your community, or even in other parts of the country or world!  It is easy to fall down a rabbit hole on YouTube… make it worthwhile!

 

Signing petitions against harmful action or in support of improvement is a simple collaborative action.

 

Take part in announced Planetary national challenges that your school may sign up to!

 

Do a bit more...

Don’t wait… get a group together of like-minded friends who also want to do something positive and post about this on social media. Your posts might be an inspiration for others! Lead by example, you will find it rewarding to achieve results, especially if your closest friends are involved too. Your community and everybody who knows you will respect you, and you will likely gain more friends on social media around the world than you ever thought possible; friends that you can share projects and ideas with, and who will welcome you into their community if you have the opportunity to visit them.

 

Have an idea for a project? Browse the profiles listed on our Planetary pages (organisations, educators, heroes) – do any align with your values or plans? Could they potentially support or assist you? Contact Planetary to let us know!

 

Jot some ideas down as a group on our handy ‘SMART’ template – this may help you to determine who you need to contact or want to collaborate with.

Write to local organisations to see if they run any projects you can volunteer with as a school or friendship group.  Many not-for profits facilitate projects requiring an extra pair of hands, so rather than setting up your own, why not support theirs?

 

Connect with local community groups, local councils and town leaders to find out what needs to be addressed in your area – this could form the basis for your own project and you could form a network with the right people at the same time!

 

Plan an event for an environmental charity. Not only will you be raising vital funds, you will also draw in a potential network of people with similar interests who may be able to support projects in future.

 

Join a rally or peaceful march together with your friends or school. Friday for Futures is a great example of how students from all over the world have made an impact and brought awareness to the issue by collaborating and acting together through collective campaigning.

 

Connect & Collaborate

Your World. Your Future.

Are YOU ready?

Experts, activists and philanthropists agree, one of the most effective ways of making positive global change for our planet is to CONNECT—with each other, with organisations, with charities and specialists. The bigger the project, the BIGGER the impact, and by helping you to join the dots Planetary hopes to assist with your efforts to make worldwide change!

Project 1

Earlier in the solution, you may have watched the video report on Donahies Community School’s project to help the homeless. Poverty is at the root of many of the global goals, and is an issue that impacts all corners of the world. Their project demonstrates the difference that can be made with many levels of collaboration! Student volunteers from across the school came together to create parcels, make food by baking or putting together sandwiches, and students even approached local companies and organisations themselves for support and donations (items to upcycle, sanitary products, ingredients to make the sandwiches, even McDonalds who collected unclaimed coffee tokens!) They also asked a local delivery company to assist in transporting and delivering the parcels to a homelessness charity. Together, they were able to help multiple homeless people in their town!

Project 2

Is there an area in your local park that could be turned into a conservation area? You could contact your local Council (most have a parks and recreation team!) to find out whether there are any potential wildlife hotspots that could benefit from extra trees or hedgerows. There are also often environmental groups within local communities who may already have knowledge about the best way to plant and prime locations - get them involved and learn from the best! Can garden centres make any donations of trees or shrubs? If you also contact your local university, you might discover students working on soil fertility projects, or wildlife density studies, that may want to help monitor the impact of your hard work!

Project 3

You could organise your own mini eco-festival or fete! Invite a range of experts, students and community group leaders to speak at your event about their projects and impact, and perhaps approach environmental businesses and charities to set up a stall, or provide mini workshops and educational talks. Don’t forget to speak with local landowners for permission to hold the event! By creating a space for people to come together and build a network, a project such as this could enable dots to be joined, connections to be formed and collaboration for action to happen! Planetary hopes to facilitate such events in the future - register your interest now & watch this space!

Starting a project?

Keep us updated by tagging #yourworldyourfuture #planetaryproject

GET STARTED! Download our SMART Project Planning Template...

Useful Links

Fridays For Future org fridaysforfuture.org
Visit
Earth Day Network org earthday.org
Visit
Ethical Hour uk ethicalhour.co.uk
Visit
Plogolution com plogolution.com
Visit