Julien Pritchard interviews Tom Garrood
How long have you been volunteering with BFoE?
I have been campaigning on environmental issues all my life but have been with Birmingham Friends of the Earth since March.
What do you do here?
As Lead Biodiversity Campaigner I have been involved with several campaigns, notably the Bee Cause. I have met politicians and journalists and spent plenty of time talking to the public about FoE campaigns. I most recently organised the Birmingham Beach Party.
What do you like about working here?
I love that every day there is something different to do. I feel I’m making a difference to the issues I really care about. Also the people I’ve met since I started volunteering with BFoE have been absolutely amazing and brilliant.
What have you learnt from volunteering with BFoE?
I feel like every day I volunteer I learn something new. There is always a new skill to master or challenge to face and the support I have received since starting here has made all the difference to me.
What do you think is the most important environmental issue and why?
For me, the most important environmental issue is the protection of the ecosystem. We are all part of nature and as such we are inescapably part of the world. With climate change and human carelessness causing so much destruction we must act now to defend the worlds biodiversity, to defend ourselves from annihilation.
What’s your best green tip/advice?
Never lose hope. Together we can build a better world!
