Meet Our Newest Charity Patron Environmental Journalist Anna Turns
We are delighted to announce that environmental journalist Anna Turns is now a patron for Libraries Unlimited! With a strong passion for storytelling and ocean conservation, Anna is an accomplished Devon-based environmental journalist, author and broadcaster. Her new BBC radio series, Secrets of the Sea, explores how Westcountry marine scientists are tackling global issues such as overfishing, climate change and sea level rise.
Anna is currently working as senior environment editor at The Conversation UK, a charity working with academics to make evidence-based research more accessible to a mainstream audience. She has also presented episodes of BBC Radio 4’s ‘Costing the Earth’ and her book ‘Go Toxic Free: Easy and Sustainable Ways to Reduce Chemical Pollution’ was published in 2022. She has written for national publications including The Guardian and BBC Future, covering topics such as climate change, renewable energy, marine conversation, food and farming, usually with a focus on solutions.
She has joined Libraries Unlimited as a patron at a key time, as we have just announced a £1.5million climate project ‘Together for Tomorrow’, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
On 12th July 2025, we are also launching our very own reading challenge this summer. The Summer Book Quest, based on the popular The Secret Book Quest challenge, is themed this summer as a Deep Sea Adventure. It not only encourages children to pick up a book, it also explores our oceans and the importance of looking after them.
“As a biologist, writer and mother, I’m passionate about nature connection and ocean literacy. Just simply stepping onto the seashore to explore a tiny rockpool or reading a coastal-inspired book can spark a lifelong interest in the ocean, so I’m incredibly excited to be a patron for Libraries Unlimited at a time when seas and storytelling combine in this summer’s project and hopefully beyond,”
says Anna, who previously ran a Kids Against Plastic campaign called Plastic Clever Salcombe with her daughter.
“Facts aren’t enough to inspire action – once we connect with their environment on an emotional level, we’re more likely to feel compelled to act and protect what we love. That’s why stories have a huge role to play. By creating sustainability hubs at Devon’s community libraries, we can also make even more of a difference by working together as a collective.”
Alex Kittow, Chief Executive Officer, Libraries Unlimited added:
“It is incredible to have Anna on board as a patron at this crucial time for both the climate and libraries. Small changes can make a big difference and that is what we hope to achieve by fostering connections to the world around us, to each other, to stories and learning. Anna is the perfect patron for helping us to spread the word about all of this and we are very grateful she has joined us.”
