Blog: Amplifying Young Voices in conservation

Podcaster, and a former winner of the BIAZA Rising Star Award, Jack Baker, writes about bringing podcasting to Chester Zoo’s Changemaker’s Toolkit…

As much as I hate to say it, while I love rummaging around in the undergrowth, pond dipping, arts and crafts, and science experiments, that is not everybody’s story. I have seen children wince at the very thought of a wee beastie, or squeal when they touch a fallen leaf. However, that doesn’t mean that they do not, or cannot, love those things. Some of the most passionate young people I have ever met just needed to find their way of expressing themselves in the nature space, and as educators it is our job to help them do that. Every young person has a potential path into conservation, and meeting them where they are is of critical importance to engaging them in the natural world.

One pathway which I am passionate about exploring is technology, specifically in regards to communications and podcasting. Whether it be through TikTok, YouTube, or streaming services like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, the number of people listening to podcasts in the UK is increasing year-on-year. For this reason, I have designed and run conservation-centred podcasting workshops with youth groups up and down the UK. These workshops encourage participants to think about what they are passionate about, how they want to tell people their story, and how they can make that happen. We run through all the basics of podcasting, from coming up with a name to actually recording, editing and distributing the show. Each participant walks away with a fully formed idea which they can then turn into a podcast!

I have been able to run these workshops with organisations including the British Trust for Ornithology and the North American Association for Environmental Education, and it is amazing to see what has come out of them. I have seen a number of podcasts or social media campaigns emerge, and groups of young people gain confidence in areas which they previously avoided – such as public speaking. Within the zoo setting, I have been given the opportunity to implement a condensed version of this workshop with the High Schoolers from Edinburgh Zoo’s Conservation Action Team. This involved giving the young people iPads and allowing them to interview their friends and family at a summer picnic. I then edited the audio together and they could listen back to their very own podcasts, which was a source of great excitement!

Because of this work, I was recently offered the opportunity to take this knowledge and translate it into a resource for the Chester Zoo Conservation Changemaker’s Toolkit. This brilliant resource is available online and contains information and tools to help young people learn about important topics like protesting, craftivism, and public speaking. It is split into easily digestible modules, contains insights from leaders from both within and out with the zoo community,  and is entirely free to use – ensuring accessibility for large numbers of people.

I was SO EXCITED to be involved in this! Not only have I admired the work of Chester Zoo for a long time - having attended a number of Youth Summits organised by their Youth Board - I also knew that this opportunity could bring these communication skills to a far greater audience than I would be able to reach alone. In a world of ever-increasing complications surrounding climate and biodiversity issues, it is essential now more than ever that young people have access to resources like this. Resources which not only provide them with knowledge, but also equip them with the skills they need to raise their voice about the issues that matter to them, and ensure that they know that their views and opinions are as valid, valuable, and essential as those who came before them.

Working with Lauren Walker from the Chester Zoo team, we decided that the best way to teach podcasting was through a podcast. So, I put together a 5 episode structure as well as companion documents to translate my in-person workshops into an online format. I set about recording, and we ended up with a range of episodes covering a huge diversity of topics. The series is now available across streaming platforms, with no episode more than 20 minutes long to allow for ease of consumption.

Episode Titles:

1. Getting Started in Nature Podcasting: Making a Plan & Finding the Confidence to Raise Your Voice!
2. How to Make Your Podcast Unique: Coming Up With Segments & A Catchy Title!
3. The Practical Side of Podcasting: Microphones, Recording Software, Editing Software & Music!
4. Getting Your Podcast Heard: How to Distribute and Promote Your Podcast in the Conservation Space!
5. I Am A Changemaker: My Journey in Nature Podcasting!

The podcast has been out for just a few days and we are already seeing people from across the world engage with its content – having been streamed in the UK, USA and Australia. This has been so encouraging, and I cannot wait to hear what comes out of this project. I hope that we can see young people’s voices amplified across the world, and the stories that matter to them centred in a way that they haven’t been before!

If you have any questions, or would like to organise a podcasting workshop, you can contact Jack at [email protected]

You can listen to the podcast here

You can find the full Changemakers’ Toolkit here

- Jack Baker, Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not necessarily a reflection of BIAZA's positions