I watched a program on television a few days ago that featured volunteers from around the world who were using innovative methods to restore threatened corals.

Josefina Gori writes for the Herald.

The person being interviewed referred to these volunteers as "heroes". However, she also pointed out that for their efforts to have a lasting impact, it was important to take action to prevent ocean warming.

Corals are facing existential threats, including an increase in the intensity and duration of marine heat waves.

The ocean absorbs 90% of the heat caused by human-driven climate change. If the global temperature continues to rise at the current rate, it will have severe consequences for corals and the broader reef ecosystem. 

What can we do to support those working to stop ocean warming? As someone who lacks expertise in this area, I reached out to Lisette Johnston, who is the driving force behind a community-based group located in the beautiful village of Tipton St. John and serves as an Ambassador for the East Devon AONB.

Among the many things they do are collecting seeds and bulbs for bees and pollinators, testing the water in the River Otter, and making efforts to protect our planet. 

During my conversation with Lisette, I was deeply touched by her drive and enthusiasm towards environmental awareness. She firmly believes in the importance of each one of us becoming an "environmental hero". It was apparent to me why had won the BBC Radio Devon "Make a Difference" award for her extensive environmental work. Lisette was the winner in the Green category, which recognises individuals or groups that make their community more environmentally friendly and work to protect its nature and wildlife. 

There was a lot I wanted to ask Lisette about a topic that is on everyone's minds now, whether we like it or not. However, I decided to start by asking her what inspired her to form the group, what guidance she could offer for those who want to do something similar, and most importantly, what actions we can take as individuals to ensure a sustainable planet for generations to come. 

“EagerBeaversTSJ was formed during the pandemic as I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of litter that seemed to be plaguing our community and decided to do something about it. At that point, I found litter picking to be an instant solution; by reducing the amount of manmade waste I was preventing it from harming wildlife and also from reaching the sewers, rivers and sea. I joined forces with Jo Earlam going on socially distanced litter picks and we quickly saw a significant reduction in the amount of litter that we were collecting. But was this enough? In simple terms, no!  

“We then decided to look around and see what other ways we could benefit the environment and started planting wildflowers, putting up bird, bat and owl boxes, testing the river Otter (to name but a few). Of course, running a community group has its challenges, it has all become very structured and quite time consuming from the humble origins of litter picking! I quickly realised that I needed funding and not only does this take an awful lot of time and effort, but also requires a bank account, a constitution and regular meetings/minutes with members. 

“My advice for anyone wishing to do something similar? Go on give it a try, it is a lot of work but it is very rewarding too. I feel such a sense of achievement when I see all of the bees and butterflies in the community garden, knowing that we have created that area on a piece of wasteland. We are all ultimately responsible for our actions, so ANYTHING you do, no matter how small will help and the planet will thank you.”  

If you would like to become one of our “environmental heroes” or learn more about them, visit their FB page or get in touch: EagerBeaversTSJ@hotmail.com