Who are the Eco Emeralds?

The Eco Emeralds are a group of environmental activists, aged 9-11, from All Saints Catholic Primary School in Anfield, Liverpool. Elliott, 11, formed the group when he realised that the ice cream being served in the school cafeteria contained palm oil, which is responsible for deforestation and loss of habitat for animals including orangutans. 

Following the success of lobbying the school for change, the Eco Emeralds started doing more to protect plants and animals, focusing on nearby nature. Through approaching Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland Foods, they attracted the attention of the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation and Semble, an organisation with expertise in bringing community campaigns to life. In 2019, the partners launched Backyard Nature with support from HRH The Duchess of Cambridge to help children across the UK to enjoy and protect nature where they live.

Since 2019, the campaign has recruited over 13,000 Backyard Nature Guardians and continues to work with the Eco Emeralds to spread the word. On 5 October 2020, the campaign and the young environmentalists appeared in Prince William: A Planet for Us All – a documentary to highlight how we can all do something to take action on the issues that we care about.