A walk on the wild side with Laura Connolly (Digital Product Executive)

Over the past few months, as part of our Tails of UK Wildlife campaign, we’ve been putting the lens on the environments local to us, from the bright lights of the city to the rolling hills of the countryside. Sadly, the wildlife we share our home with is under threat, and we’ve now lost 19% of UK species since 1970 according to the State of Nature 2023 report. By connecting with, caring for, and nurturing the nature we live alongside, we can help to create a more positive future for UK wildlife.

We caught up with one of our passionate colleagues here at Animal Friends, Laura Connolly (Digital Product Executive), who is a proud wildlife warrior and animal advocate in the rugged Scottish Highlands she calls home, to find out just why she loves nature so much, and what she does to help protect it.

Laura’s story

“I’ve always had a passion for nature. Growing up, I lived in Australia for six years and then in the Cotswolds up until my early twenties. Wanting some more hands-on experience, I went to South Africa to volunteer with a company called Marine Dynamics who conduct white shark research, African penguin conservation and whale and dolphin studies.

"When I was 23, I lost my dad very unexpectedly and this completely re-rooted my life (excuse the pun). I took a year off work and spent a lot of that time in nature to navigate my grief. Four years ago, I moved to the Scottish Highlands with my husband and two dogs. We spend a lot of time in nature whether it’s hiking in the Cairngorms, beach clean ups, or spotting marine wildlife off the Moray coast which is well known for its diverse marine life with salmon, dolphins, osprey, and seals (with even orcas being spotted). Moving here has re-established my passion for the environment and made me realise how important it is to protect it."

How you can help your environment

"The environment and the topics surrounding it can become overwhelming at times and for me something that’s helped me feel less powerless has been to start to understand and familiarise yourself with the environment in your local area. As every ecosystem is different, you can talk to local conservation groups and read up about the initiatives specific to your area, learning things such as how the native ecosystem looks, what are some of the non-native species, how these affect habitat and landscapes and what can you do to help with this. There are also projects and studies you can contribute to by reporting local sightings of wildlife and plants."

"Things like supporting local, be it produce or products, can help you feel connected to your environment too. The little things really add up and it’s easy to become disconnected, but I like to ask myself, whether it’s during dinner, or out and about seeing nature, ‘what process has this gone through to get to where it is today?’, and I find that can spark some curiosity and help you to reconnect with the environment around you.”

Has Laura’s passion for the great outdoors and all the wonderful wildlife that calls it home inspired you to get out there and make a difference? Don’t forget that even the smallest of actions can have a big impact when it comes to protecting the future of our local animals and nature – why not check out our Tails of UK Wildlife landing page, where you can find loads of fantastic ways to get involved and support the wildlife local to you?