Unfortunately, we are not all made equal, some have privilege due to the colour of their skin, others were born into wealth and connections. It is important for us to understand these differences but not let them hold us back. If this traineeship has taught me anything, it is that I am capable. I have learned to build paths through a forest, guiding children and inspiring them with facts about everything we see.

The sign of learning is teaching another and I have constantly been surprised at how much I have learnt and delighted in passing on knowledge over these past four months. Soon after achieving level 4 (professional standard) in a mock FISC botanical exam I participated in a nature walk with ‘Flock Together’, a birdwatching collective for people of colour (POC). Here I found myself naturally teaching others about the wonders of nature. Later, people would come up and ask questions and I felt a quiet sense of pride in my ability to answer.

Widening access

Flock Together is an organisation, like London Wildlife Trust with a common goal of widening access to nature. Statistically, people of colour are more likely to live in urban areas with less access to green spaces. As a result, they are disproportionately affected by noise and air pollution which leads to a number of detrimental health effects including increased risk of heart attack, type 2 diabetes and even death. Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, a nine year old black girl from Lewisham was the first person to die as a direct result of air pollution in 2013. That is why the work of these organisations is so important.

As Volunteer Manager for U.K Black Pride (now the world’s biggest LGBTQ+ pride celebration for people of colour) I have seen first-hand the importance of creating space for people to live freely. The joy on the faces of the 25,000 attendees upon learning they were part of the biggest ever POC pride celebration mimicked the joy of Flock Together walkers learning about teasel for the first time. Sadly, if it were not for racism, spaces like this and Flock Together would not need to exist and with the conservation sector being the 2^nd least diverse in the U.K you simply cannot be an environmentalist without also being anti-racist. Justice is justice, regardless of the cause.

Health benefits to us and the planet

It is hard to comprehend the benefits of granting everyone equal access to green space. From a health perspective, being in nature helps to lower stress levels through hearing natural sounds like birdsong and interacting with phytoncides, chemicals released by trees that soothe our nervous systems, improving digestion, sleep and general wellbeing (Qing Li 2010). I know I have felt instantly relaxed when stepping into a woodland many times over the course of this traineeship! Furthermore, vitamin D also known as the happy hormone, something Black and Asian people with melanated skin are often deficient in is naturally obtained from being outside. You are more likely to want to go outside if you are able to access greenery and escape the grey concrete jungle easily.

You are also more likely to learn about what surrounds us and engage with environmental issues if you are connected to green spaces. This is evident through the excitement I have seen on a child’s face when they find a newt, pond dipping in forest school or an adult’s face upon spotting a heron at Walthamstow Wetlands. After doing this traineeship I no longer walk through a park and just see green, I see a plethora of species battling for my attention.

My wish is for everyone to see the world through these green-tinted glasses and realise how much it is worth saving.

Li Qing. Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environ Health Prev Med 15, 9–17 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-008-0068-3