Meet the Steering Group - Jane Wood
Jane is the Chair and Secretary of CA-WN, and joined the group soon after its inception in late 2019. This is the latest in a series of pieces from CA-WN's Steering Group members.
What is your motivation for being involved with the environmental movement and with CA-WN in particular?
When I started to understand about climate change and all the other ways in which humans are damaging the natural world, it was very hard to reconcile this with people all around me living in a way that paid no regard to the environment. Sometimes I’d wonder if I was deluded because so few people seemed to see the world the way I did. Being a member of CA-WN lets me be part of a group of people who do see the world the same way.
Sometimes I don’t want to be a person who is always thinking about the climate and nature crises and I wonder what good I am really doing. But in the end it’s impossible not to try to make a difference.
What other roles do you have in your life outside of being involved with CA-WN?
I was very lucky to be able to retire early in 2021. I was born with a strong volunteering gene, so since becoming ‘economically inactive’ I’ve taken on other voluntary roles including being a parish councillor. More recently I also became a carer when my dad moved in with us.
If you were given one wish to change something in West Northamptonshire what would it be?
I’d want to see action on climate change and nature recovery much better co-ordinated and communicated. Since joining CA-WN I’ve seen that there are lots of people doing their own thing in little pockets but not much happening to join it all up. CA-WN tries to address this in a small way but I am seeing signs of others also beginning to fill this gap (e.g. collaboration across the public and charity sectors on the new Local Nature Recovery Strategy).
I’m part of a new initiative, the West Northamptonshire Climate and Nature Partnership, or WN CAN, which aims to act as a unifying and enabling force for action so I might get my wish!
What one change have you made for the climate in your own life that you are happiest about and why?
‘Rewilding’ my small garden. I get so much enjoyment out of it and the creatures it attracts – birds, hedgehogs, bees, spiders, grasshoppers, butterflies and moths….
Tell us something about yourself that people might find surprising.
I’m an introvert who really doesn’t like social occasions.