Nature Connectors

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Nature Connectors are guiding people in exploring beautiful natural settings in and around London.

Helping to nurture a closer relationship with the natural world and with others, through learning woodland living skills, wildlife ID and traditional crafts.

The Programme

People of colour currently spend less time in nature in the UK than white people, therefore missing out on the pleasures and the health benefits and are less involved in conserving and protecting green spaces. There is a widely acknowledged under-representation of black leadership within the environmental sector.

Nature Connectors is run by practitioners who are people of colour, providing space to talk about barriers we experience in accessing nature.

Nature Connectors supports people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds in London to feel more comfortable in nature, to increase their knowledge and confidence in leading others in engaging with nature.

In the six week learning experience groups explore local green spaces, learning wildlife identification, woodland living skills, natural history, traditional crafts and connecting around the campfire for therapeutic reflection on issues affecting our engagement with nature.

We place an emphasis on building community, with consideration given to how we treat each other and communicate.

Using the skills of our ancestors to nurture a deeper connection with the natural world, developing a sense of connection to people and place and a sense of belonging to communities past and present.

Participants leave with the knowledge and confidence to be able to lead their own family, friends and communities in nature, passing on the skills and experiences they have. The first phase of this programme focuses on leadership in urban parks and woodlands.

Join us

Join us to gain knowledge and confidence in leading your family, friends and communities in nature. Be part of a community which gathers in nature to have fun, learn and feel good.

We’ll introduce people who are new to spending time in nature to the outdoors and reconnect those with previous experiences from childhood or their pre-London lives!

The sessions will be delivered within London, in parks and woods,  running in a weekly series of 6 day sessions, with a maximum of 10 people in each volunteer cohort.

The next courses start in September 2018.

If you’re interested and would like more details email beth@wildinthecity.org.uk.

Listen: Colourful Radio’s Jacqueline Malcolm interviews course leader, Beth Collier, about black experiences of connection with nature:

Watch: Nature Connector participant, Brenda