For reasons personal, political and pandemic I have found myself struggling to write anything meaningful in recent weeks. Instead I have been seeking out different perspectives; reading and listening to experiences that differ from my own. It is heart-breaking to know people of colour and LGBTQ+ people struggle to access and connect with the natural world when it’s obvious to me, and there’s a growing body of evidence, that it’s essential for a happy and healthy life.
Below are a few of the articles, discussions and resources on this topic that I’ve found eye-opening. Some are challenging, many offer hope, but they all help build an understanding of what we can all do to make access to the natural world truly equal. Please share the links below and send me more fresh perspectives:
- How to diversify the Eco movement – Wannabe Greener podcast
- Being black while in nature: ‘You’re an endangered species’ – The Guardian
- ‘I can’t even enjoy this.’ #BlackBirdersWeek organizer shares her struggles as a black scientist – Science Magazine
- ‘Black Women Who Bird’ Take the Spotlight to Make Their Presence Known – Audobon Magazine
- Why Every Environmentalist Should Be Anti-Racist – Vogue
- ‘Racism dictates who gets dumped on’: how environmental injustice divides the world – The Guardian
- Black in nature – a list of resources – Inkcap
- There is no place for racism in birding – Birdlife International
- The Bio-diverse festival
- Going it Alone – Outside magazine
- Scientists push against barriers to diversity in the field sciences – Science Magazine
- Black in Nature – Integrative and Comparative Biology blog
- Social Difference and Nature – Bath Spa University