My Creative Cup of Tea

May 28, 2026

#MCCOTInterview {54}

Plantlife, the strong international voice for wild plants and fungi

MCCOT is resolutely an independent committed editorial platform with a bold purpose. From the first day we embarked on this amazing, meaningful and rewarding new journey of ours, our main aim has always been to be able to make a real difference in this world thanks to the publication and promotion, only in small batches by choice, of premium, exclusive and inspiring editorial content, that invite our readers to embrace slow living at 360 ° and then become conscious and virtuous consumers. Since the 6th December 2021, we have been celebrating and promoting talent, creativity, craftsmanship and ethicality. And last but not the least, Sustainability. It really matters to us to raise awareness in our community about this crucial subject. We sincerely and genuinely care for Mother Earth. We are so proud of growing an international, creative and eco-conscious community. It is our duty, but also an honor for us to champion a more sustainable way of living and consuming, and support committed-to-the-environment human beings, trailblazers, environmental activists and eco-founders who, like us, take the matters very seriously. Recently we had the pleasure to interview Katie Cameron who is Collaboration Manager at Plantlife, a global wild plant conservation charity established in 1989 in the United Kingdom, that is committed for over three decades to reconnecting people with Nature and preserving our natural heritage for next generations. Let's learn more about this wildlife charity. Let's discover simple actions to adopt on a daily basis that can have a real positive and gentle impact on our environment. Because the truth is 'you can all be heroes just for one day'- or more- as British icon David Bowie used to sing. We want to believe that climate change can be faced with intelligence, and pragmatism. We are deeply convinced that we are still able to save our planet. It is not too late but we have to act now. Starting from our way of gardening by example. Let's get informed about the importance of taking part in No Mow May's campaign. It's up to you now. Let's make a difference. Together.

By Hèlène Battaglia

Who came up with the idea of establishing Plantlife? When did it precisely become a reality?

The charity was founded in 1989 by a group of botanists and conservationists who felt wild plants were overlooked in conservation and needed a dedicated national voice.

What is Plantlife concretely about?

Plantlife is dedicated to securing a world rich in wild plants and fungi and the habitats they depend on. Wild plants and fungi underpin the health of our environment. They not only bring joy and colour to our lives, they can help us to resolve the climate, ecological and societal challenges which we face.

Plantlife protects and restores important and rare habitats such as species-rich grasslands and temperate rainforests; Plantlife manages around 24 nature reserves in the UK which include some of the UK’s best remaining plant-rich habitats, including Munsary reserve in Scotland a vast expanse of peatlands, which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It also works on species recovery, provides land management advice to farmers and businesses, and helps to influence policy so that plants and fungi are not forgotten but built into decision making on how we manage the countryside, towns and cities. Plantlife also works to elevate fungus conservation - In 2025, a new UK Network for Fungal Conservation was launched. Chaired by Plantlife, this is the first collaboration for conservation of fungi of its kind in the UK for over a decade.

How many people are now engaged in the process?

Plantlife has around 80 staff members working around the UK as well as an active network of volunteers who help survey and monitor wild flowers and habitats and also support us in the office and on our reserves. We work closely with our network of partners in the UK and globally, and have over 20,000 members and supporters. His Majesty King Charles III is Plantlife’s Patron.

Which are your major achievements reached so far?

Plantlife was an instrumental partner in the Coronation Meadows grassland restoration project and has since helped create and restore many hectares of wildflower-rich grassland. Plantlife also helped develop the Important Plant Areas (IPA) programme and was key in helping set up the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) to halt the loss of wild plants and fungi. Plantlife and partners have put pressure on UK governments to ban the sale of horticultural peat whose habitat is being destroyed in Europe - the campaign is ongoing. Eight years ago we launched the No Mow May Campaign which has become a huge national and international campaign focussed on mowing less.

Which are the main goals you are willing to reach until 2030?
In this critical decade, Plantlife’s strategy to secure a world rich in wild plants focusses on 4 main areas:

1) Protect and restore our wild flowers and fungi across landscapes including grasslands, mountains, woodlands, coasts, heathlands, farmland and peatlands.

2) Connect people with nature so they are inspired and empowered to help nature and work within their local communities to do so.

3) Work in partnerships so we can all be part of the solution and together (with our partners and landowners, communities, businesses and decision makers) we can re-build a healthy natural world and our relationship with it.

4) Collaborate and influence with others and use our influence around the world to protect plants and fungi.

You started slowly and locally in the UK and are now acting globally as a partner of the Global Strategy for Plant conservation (GSPC). Could you tell us more about the international projects you are taking part in?

For over 30 years, Plantlife has been a strong international voice for wild plants and fungi. We work with partners to make sure plant and fungal conservation is properly reflected in global agreements to protect nature. Through the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation (GPPC), we helped create a set of voluntary “Plant Conservation Actions” for the updated Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). These actions highlight that plants—and the places they grow—often need specific conservation measures, not just the same approach used for other wildlife. Plantlife also serves as the Secretariat (the coordinating team) for the Global Fungal Conservation Strategy (GFCS). We work with the Global Fungi Conservation Network (GFCN) to help bring fungi into nature recovery, sustainable farming, and plans for adapting to climate change.

We also coordinate and support the Important Plant Areas (IPA) programme around the world. Plantlife helped develop the guidelines countries use to identify their most important places for wild plants, and we maintain an online database of these sites. This science-based approach helps identify places that are home to rare or threatened species, species found nowhere else, or wild plants and habitats that are especially important for people and livelihoods—so they can be prioritised for protection and better management.

We also champion a “whole-of-society” approach—meaning everyone has a role to play, from local communities and land managers to businesses, scientists and governments.

Ultimately, we want the UN, governments and international institutions to recognise that protecting the diversity of plants and fungi is essential. It helps address the connected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and human well-being—on our one and only planet.

To raise awareness concerning the absolute necessity of preserving the precious biodiversity, you launched the movement #NoMow May. What does it consist of?

No Mow May is part of Plantlife’s annual ‘No Mow Movement’ campaign, where we invite people to do something simple but powerful: pledge to pause or reduce mowing for the month of May and beyond, to let lawns and green spaces grow. The idea is to give grasses and naturally occurring wildflowers (like daisies, dandelions and clovers) time to flower, providing nectar and habitat for pollinators and other wildlife at a crucial point in the season.

Why do we need No Mow May?

Approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows have been lost since the 1930s, and with them, vital food and habitat needed by wildlife. But your garden can help! A healthy lawn with some longer grass and wildflowers helps to tackle pollution, benefits wildlife and can even lock away carbon below the ground. There’s around 25 million gardens here in the UK alone (RHS figure), so imagine the impact if we all took part! Even the smallest grassy patches can add up.

How can every lucky owner of a garden or a plot of land be a part of this virtuous initiative of yours?

Taking part in No Mow May is easy and the perfect starting point for summer. You can let the whole lawn grow during summer, or focus on a small strip, corner or verge—every patch helps.

You don’t even need your own garden to be part of the movement. You can grow wildflowers in pots and window boxes or support a community meadow. You can also encourage your workplace, school or local council to reduce mowing, or by creating a small “mini meadow” and sharing the message with neighbours and your community. By leaving a mix of grass lengths in your lawn from #NoMowMay and beyond means you’re giving nature the boost it deserves. From No Mow May, carry on the #NoMowMovement, through Let it Bloom June and beyond to manage your lawn for nature all year round.

Are more likewise campaigns planned?

As we go through the summer our attention turns to grassland waxcaps and fungi. Our Waxcap Watch campaign is a citizen science initiative to encourage the public to record the colour of the waxcaps they spot around them so we have an idea of where they are growing – many are quite rare, unknown or not yet recorded and some indicate species rich or ancient grasslands so it’s quite important we know where they are so we can help protect them. It’s a really easy and fun way to take part in nature recording.

Your focus is on plants but also on fungi, often called the forgotten kingdom. Why are these ones also to be taken care of?

Fungi are essential to all life on earth and form the largest kindgom — yet they are the least known. This hidden network supports ecosystems - Fungi recycle nutrients by breaking down dead material, help build and stabilise soils, and form vital partnerships with plants (mycorrhizal networks) that support plant health and resilience. Some fungi are also key indicators of rare habitats (for example, waxcap fungi in old, unimproved grasslands). If we want thriving habitats and truly effective nature recovery, fungi cannot remain “the forgotten kingdom”.

How and where people can get involved and take action as a volunteer?

People can volunteer with Plantlife in lots of ways, depending on their interests and location. Opportunities include practical conservation work on Plantlife’s reserves and helping with botanical and fungi surveys, supporting events and campaigning, and remote roles such as admin support, data entry, research and communications. The best starting point is Plantlife’s volunteering page, which lists current roles across the UK and explains the support and training provided.

How can people support you?

The simplest ways are to join as a member, make a donation (regular or one off), fundraise, or leave a gift in your will if that’s something you feel able to do. People can also support by taking part in Plantlife campaigns (like No Mow May), sharing guidance with friends and neighbours, and encouraging schools,workplaces, councils, politicians and land managers to adopt plant and pollinator-friendly practices.

Which simple and sustainable advice could you give to our community to be able to make a difference and preserve the environment?

Start with your own garden or green patch and make changes that are easy to keep doing: mow less often (and remove clippings to allow wildflowers to grow), leave some areas to flower, and avoid pesticides and herbicides where you can. Choose peat-free compost and plant a mix of native and wildlife-friendly flowers so there is nectar from spring to autumn. Let “weeds” like clover and dandelion thrive in a patch of lawn, add a small pile of logs or leaves for insects and fungi, and—if you have any influence locally—encourage your community to manage verges and green spaces with nature in mind.

As trailblazers and committed environmentalists, why is it so important to stay positive and keep believing that we still can save her?

In difficult times Plantlife’s mission matters more than ever – we can’t always control what is going on at a macro level but we can all help on a local level –seeing change happen keeps people hopeful and engaged. Nature can respond surprisingly quickly when pressures are reduced—wildflowers return, pollinators find food, and habitats recover when we manage them well. Staying positive doesn’t mean ignoring the scale of the crisis; it means focusing on what works, celebrating progress, and making it easier for more people to take part. When millions of small actions add up—across gardens, farms, road verges and reserves—real recovery becomes possible.

A message to the world...

Let’s stop treating wild plants and fungi as scenery. We need to be aware of them and recognise their importance. They are the foundation of life—of our food webs, our soils, our climate resilience and our well-being. If each of us makes space for nature where we live, and if our institutions protect and restore the most important habitats, we can reverse loss, recover nature and rebuild a world rich in plants and fungi—for everyone’s sake.

Plantlife

@plantlife.loveplants