Britain likes to call itself a nation of nature lovers. The truth is more awkward. We're one of the most nature-disconnected countries on earth, and somewhere between the bird tables and the balcony herbs a lot of us have quietly filed Nature under "nice, but not for me." 

At Agency for Nature, we’re aiming to show that once nature starts showing up in youth culture, something clicks: the possibility that “people like me, do things like this”. We believe giving nature fresh energy in youth culture gives a new generation a chance to remember: we belong here, and we were wired to feel alive in nature. 

On Sunday 26th April, The Talking Tree – an Agency for Nature campaign developed with Droga5 – was announced as one of Columbia University’s “Digital Dozen: Breakthroughs in Storytelling.” The award honours projects that stretch what narrative can be in the digital age. For us, it’s also a chance to reflect on a more provocative question: is the Talking Tree just a clever story about nature – or the beginning of stories by nature?

Every culture has a point of view on "the good life." Sometimes it's explicit - in schools of thought like Stoicism, or Ubuntu - and sometimes it's less obvious. But the shared understanding of what makes a life worth living, what's worth pursuing, what success looks like — it's always there, shaping everything.

When it comes to climate, our storytellers have a vital role in shaping our way out.