Donna Rainey

Impact Narrative

Donna’s proposal for sharing OVER:

“I am a member of several environmental groups. I carry out many litter clean ups of rivers, beaches, forests, mountains and roadsides. I have many contacts at my work in a hospital and speak to many people about environmental damage and conservation. I was horrified by the pictures in the Guardian Newspaper, from Overpopulation, Overconsumption-in pictures. I would share the books with other environmentalists, schools and community groups.

I petition politicians and farmers on hedgerow destruction, scrub clearance, tree removal, draining bogland and wetlands. I am part of a now funded movement to stop mowing on government owned land and roadside verges, to allow flowers to grow for pollinators. I am also involved with anti fracking groups in NI (Northern Ireland).

I have got local politicians involved directly in conservation work to show them what changes are necessary in order to improve biodiversity. Many of the events I am involved with have local press coverage.

I think it is important to let people see the effects of their actions. I photograph places before and after clean ups, before and after allowing flowers to flourish. I then show these in talks to communities. In the grounds of the hospital where I work, I have had the management changed from constant mowing to allowing meadows to grow. This has been followed up by signage explaining to staff, patients and the public that the grounds are being managed for native wildflowers, insects, birds and mammals.

I pride myself on being an Eco Warrior and my manager calls me the Green Queen.

I would love to share these books with local Biodiversity Officers who do a lot of work in schools and community groups.”