Backyard Nature was a national campaign that empowered children across the UK to enjoy and protect nature right where they live. Funded by the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF) and grown by Semble, the UK’s leading grassroots community organisation, the campaign was inspired by the Eco Emeralds – a passionate group of young environmentalists from Anfield, Liverpool.
Launched with the ambitious goal of inspiring one million hours of nature engagement, Backyard Nature provided children and their grown-ups with simple, powerful tools to care for their own patch of nature – even in the heart of a city.
Key Stats
bug hotels given away to Iceland customers to protect bugs and insects
hours of Backyard Nature Generated Hours
seed balls given to Iceland customers – that’s 15 million wildflowers
Backyard Nature gained national attention when the Eco Emeralds received a surprise visit from HRH The Duck of Cambridge, now the Prince of Wales. Their story was featured in Prince William: A Planet for Us All, aired on ITV in October 2020, bringing the campaign to primetime television.
Supported by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge now the Princess of Wales, Backyard Nature went on to recruit over 13,000 Backyard Nature Guardians and inspired more than 750,000 hours of nature engagement. To celebrate the ITV documentary, Project Maya and Seedball – backed by Semble, IFCF, and Clarion Futures – donated 200,000 wildflower seedballs to schools and community groups.
Backyard Nature may have concluded, but its legacy lives on in the thousands of children who discovered the joy of protecting their patch – and the communities that rallied behind them.
Launching Backyard Nature in the Summer of 2019 was a life changing experience. We were whisked to London and spoke on a stage to numerous environmentalists. You could hear a pin drop as we spoke, and we could tell that everyone was listening to our group. I wish for the world to be fair and have clear blue seas. A world where everyone is peaceful. I want a world where people think of their surroundings, and I want a world where people care about the environment and take on the responsibility of being a Backyard Nature Guardian.