Black2Nature
Arranging nature camps for Visible Minority Ethnic (VME) children and young adults
Black2Nature:
Vision
Delivering equal access to nature to the hugely under-represented Visible Minority Ethnic (VME) demographic.
Aims/Objectives
Black2Nature's objectives are to work towards the increase in engagement of VME people with nature and the environment, through education to understand the benefits to physical and mental health and wellbeing, how that can relate back to their rural heritage abroad; the education of those in nature conservation & media, environment and education or similar sectors in connecting with VME communities, getting them outside and interested in conservation careers. We also campaign to make the environmental sector ethnically diverse because only 0.6% of environmental professionals are VME. There is significant institutionalised racism within the sector and so those VME young people trying to enter it need support and mentoring as well as the sector being prepared to admit there is a problem and tackle it.
The charity Black2Nature held an open AGM at Bristol City Town Hall on Friday (July 1st), which it combined with a book launch for its founder, the remarkable Dr Mya-Rose Craig aka Birdgirl (image below, who at just twenty years old already has her own wikipedia page, received numerous awards for her work tackling inequality and the climate crisis, and been awarded an honorary doctorate from Bristol University where she was quoted saying that “Now more than ever, it is important to recognise that inequality of engagement creates inequality of opportunity and an unequal world is not a sustainable one").
Black2Nature is, though, far more than just its illustrious founder. In fact, as Mya-Rose put it with an understandable sense of fatigue given everything (including attending university) that she is also involved with, it is now “a functional charity’ standing independent of her.
That certainly appeared to be the case as Helena Craig (pictured above and Mya-Rose’s mother and a passionate campaigner in her own right) outlined the numerous camps and competitions Black2Nature had organised for local VME children and young adults. Nature camps, sailing camps, tree-planting days out, nature photography competitions, even a planned football day hosted by Ecotricity’s Dale Vince and Forest Green Rovers! Anything and everything to help under privileged kids, some of whom (I was told) have so few opportunities to get out from their own homes they think that cows are ‘wildlife’.
Please don’t take the last part of that sentence as my denigrating people’s experience in any way at all, but a sobering recognition of just how supported and privileged my own birding and access to nature has always been (I’d summarise it as fully and unrestricted). I really don’t want to engage in ‘centering’ here but I have to say that when one of the delegates (in a genuine attempt to offer help) asked whether the young people that Black2Nature works with could use a counsellor trained in ‘eco-anxiety’, Helena’s answer that frankly they are too concerned with everyday racism to be eco-anxious was shocking and will permanently change my perspective.
As I quoted above, just 0.6% of people working in the environment sector are non-white, so that barrier of racism these kids face as youngsters clearly carries over into career opportunities later in life - shameful for many reasons, including because (as Helena succinctly put it) “inclusivity is so important - we won’t succeed on climate change if minority groups aren’t engaged”.
I’d be guilty of ‘building up my part’ if I tried to suggest in any way that I have done anything to support Black2Nature, incidentally, because I haven’t. I’ve known about it for years (at least since I interviewed Mya-Rose back in 2019), I’m fairly local (certainly closer than stalwart volunteers like Shane who I met at the event and lives near Bridgewater in Somerset (a really good photographer he tweets as Shane (X))), but something has always held me back. Mya-Rose half-jokingly labelled me ‘male, pale, and stale’ during that interview, and I have to admit that has always made me wonder what I had to offer kids from diverse backgrounds that I have almost zero experience of…
…but the truth though, of course, is that all of us can find a way to support a grassroots charity if we align with or are supportive of its aims.
On the most basic level, as I was assured by both Helena and Ayesha Ahmed-Mendoza (Black2Nature’s enthusiastic Camps & Events Manager), just talking about Black2Nature (‘spreading the word’) via social media or blogs etc is a huge help. Please consider sharing this post and following the group on Twitter and Facebook.
They are always looking for help driving minibuses: either transporting staff and camp attendees or just offering to transport equipment ahead of the group so the camp can be set up in advance.
Volunteers in any capacity are always welcome - from helping to fundraise and organise events to being on site at the camps to help mentor and identify plants and animals.
And of course, like every charity Black2Nature needs funds - their newly-launched Crowdfunder is at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/black2nature-campsforinnercityyoungpeople.
Thankyou.