Everyone has a right to access nature. We are dedicated to equal access to nature for Visible Minority Ethnic children, young people, families, and communities.
Right now, *Visible Minority Ethnic marginalised people are still excluded from the UK countryside in the UK, Europe, the USA, and other global north countries. We believe this has to change.
Black2Nature fights for equal access to nature for all in the UK, a right that we believe is fundamental in the same way we all have the right to access education or health. Everybody should have the benefit of being able to go out into green or natural spaces, not just for their enjoyment but also for their mental, physical, and social well-being.
Vulnerable and disadvantaged Visible Minority Ethnic children and teenagers are particularly at risk of entering foster care, prison, or the mental health system. They are twice as likely as their White counterparts to be diagnosed with a mental illness only through contact with the criminal justice system, rather than it being picked up by their school, GP, or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
*The use of the word Black in our name Black2Nature is used as in the legal definition in the Equality Act 2010, and the political sense, widely used in the UK to include anyone who is not White. It should be noted that the term Black has a different terminology and meaning in the USA, which should not be confused with the use of the word in the UK. We believe using the term Visible Minority Ethnic is equally inclusive of all racially minoritised groups, including those who are of South Asian, East Asian, African, African Caribbean heritage, and dual heritage. Our use of Visible Minority Ethnic does not include White minorities, such as those who are of White Irish heritage, as these groups are not usually racialised in British society. There are many different terminologies used with respect to racially minoritised groups in the UK, which also constantly change; different generations, communities, and individuals prefer to use different terms, but each term has its own pros and cons, which some people are not comfortable with; the families we work with prefer to use the term Visible Minority Ethnic.
We recognise that a range of groups face discrimination and/or disadvantage, that communities from socially deprived areas also face disadvantage, but in our opinion, not to the extent of Visible Minority Ethnic groups, whose experiences of racial inequity and racism compound any socio-economic and health inequities.
“We know that nature has the power to inspire us and connect us to each other”
Our vision for Black2Nature is that our early intervention will get Visible Minority Ethnic children, teenagers, families, and communities out into nature regularly, increasing their resilience to physical and mental ill health, improving educational attainment, how they cope with racism and educating them about biodiversity loss, environmental issues and climate change so that they are inspired to take action.
Photo by Oliver Edwards
Our objectives:
1. We will increase engagement of Visible Minority Ethnic children, young people, families, women and communities with nature and the environment through education, so that they:
- Can simply enjoy nature.
- Understand the benefits to their physical and mental health and wellbeing.
- Understand how involvement in nature can improve the impact of racism, discrimination and disparities in their lives.
- Learn how nature connects them to their heritage and builds their own and community resilience.
- Build educational and career aspirations enabling the opportunity to learn about and become interested in nature conservation, environmental and scientific careers.
- Build confidence in campaigning for and defending their communities and the natural world in the face of the biodiversity, environmental and climate crisises.
2. We will enable Visible Minority Ethnic children, young people, families, women and communities to experience nature, to visit the countryside and its benefits through immersive experiences during our camps, walks and events.
3. We will educate those in nature conservation — media, environment, education and similar sectors — in how to connect with Visible Minority Ethnic children, young people, families, women and communities.
4. We will campaign for equal access to nature for Visible Minority Ethnic children, young people, families, women and communities who are currently excluded from the countryside and in doing this we will be disruptive.
5. We will mentor and nurture Visible Minority Ethnic children, young people, families, women and communities to help them find their inner resilience and improve their mental health. We will help them make the transition into jobs within the nature conservation and environmental sectors.
6. We will help to make the nature conservation and environmental sectors ethnically diverse through education and our conferences, workshops and consultancy.
Why the environmental sector needs us:
When ur Founder and President, Mya-Rose Craig, started her mission to change the nature conservation and environmental sectors in 2015, there was a huge lack of understanding of the barriers and issues to Visible Minority Ethnic communities accessing the countryside, and almost no work was being done to make a change, as well as there being significant institutionalised racism within the nature conservation and environmental sectors.
Mya-Rose’s concerns were then backed up by the March 2017 report by Richard Norrie, “The Two Sides of Diversity – Which are the most diverse occupations?“. This report found that only 0.6% of environmental professionals were Visible Minority Ethnic compared to 18% of the national UK population, being the second least ethnically diverse sector in the UK. Other important statistics from this report that were important to Black2Nature being able to focus its work were that 6.84% of the population was Asian or Asian mixed, and 3.43% was Black or Black mixed.
After her first nature camp in 2015, it was clear to Mya-Rose that she needed to do something about the complete lack of diversity within the nature conservation and environment sectors. Mya-Rose therefore decided to approach the biggest of these organisations, challenging them on their failures, which amounted to racism, and what they were going to do to make a change in the sector. At that time, Mya-Rose was only one of three people to be raising these issues nationally (and she was clearly the youngest). She and Black2Nature started contributing alongside the fantastic work of Judy Ling Wong and Mohammed Dhalech. We are proud to have triggered the discussions about the lack of diversity in these sectors and led the change.
We hope that Visible Minority Ethnic teenagers will stand a greater chance to enter the sector, but will need significant support and mentoring to support them, and the sector to understand that there is a problem, that they need to work with diversity experts and make changes to tackle the issues.
We strive to bring these two groups together and facilitate progress.
The 2024 Race Report found that the number of Visible Minority Ethnic people working within the wider environmental sector was 4.5%. We believe that the percentage will be significantly lower for the nature conservation sector, which is the sector that will make the difference in terms of access to nature.
Why the Visible Minority Ethnic communities need us:
We know that nature has the power to inspire people and connect them. Experiences in nature have proven benefits for mental and physical health and promote happiness and creativity. To put it another way, a community that is connected to nature is stronger.
The Natural England commissioned report NECR208 “Monitor Of Engagement Of The Natural Environment: A Pilot To Develop An Indicator Of Visits To The Natural Environment By Children” dated 10 February 2016 found that:
Children from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) households were less likely to frequently visit the natural environment (56%) compared to children from non-Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (non-BAME) households (74%).
– Children from higher income households (socio-economic groups A and B) were more likely to visit frequently (77%) than children from lower income households (socio-economic groups D and E) (65%) (A definition of socio-economic groups is given in Appendix 1).
Therefore, children living in poverty were about 10% less likely to go out into nature than those who were affluent (and in all likelihood White), and Visible Minority Ethnic (VME) children were another 10% less likely.
These statistics support the need for Black2Nature’s work to get VME out into green spaces and connected with nature.
We know that nature has the power to inspire children and young people and connect them to each other. Their experience of nature has proven benefits for physical and mental health and well-being, promoting happiness and creativity. We provide a community that is connected to nature is a stronger community
Through our work, we address socio-economic and health inequality and racial inequity. We offer varied events which broaden life aspirations. Ex Bristol Mayor, Marvin Rees, spoke at one of our events, talking about growing up in St Paul’s and the dramatic impact visiting the Brecon Beacons had on him when he was 14 years old. He said that going outside of Bristol, into a beautiful national park, was the trigger and inspiration for him to decide that he wanted to make something of himself and see more of the world. This is what Black2Nature hopes that we can do with every child and young person who attends one of our camps or events
Our events last from half-day activities to five-day camps. Most of the VME children and young people who attend return to our camps and events, developing their skills, knowledge and friendships across different ethnic groups.
We work with children and young people aged 8 to 18 years, with those younger and older attending family events. Our youth workers are aged 18 to 25 years old, attended our camps as young people and are now benefiting in their careers from working with us. Our staff are dedicated to the work we do, going the extra mile to support families.
We also run events for families and friends and adults over 18 years old.
Black2Nature gets VME children and young people out into the countryside for the first time, engaged with nature, making them visibly happier, and continues to build on these experiences and use this connection for the rest of their lives. Our early interventions create mental health resilience. We encourage regular time in nature to use it to benefit their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Physical health is also improved by being outside and being active, for example, going on a birdwatching walk. We play football to help stimulate a love of outdoor team sport. There is strong evidence between nature engagement and improvement in mental health and well-being.
We know that mental illness rates are significantly higher in VME communities, with 60% of those entering mental health wards being VME compared to 18% of the population. Also, young Black men are ten times more likely to experience psychosis compared to young White men.
Many VME children and young people feel angry about their negative experiences at school, and sometimes their perceived lack of support from parents. Being able to use nature connection to manage those feelings is beneficial. We give long-term strategies for these, including improving their educational attainment, aspirations, ambitions and career prospects. Through our work, we are reducing the racial educational attainment gap and disparity and tackling the direct and indirect racism and discrimination faced by our children and young people.
Black2Nature provides varied and educational nature and environmental activities, such as bird watching walks, bird ringing, looking at bats, moths and butterflies, bio blitz, pond dipping, nature photography and art and tree planting and caring. In this way, there is something to engage everyone, and it is important that children and young people learn to care about and advocate for stopping climate change and biodiversity loss. Speaking up for the planet has an impact of empowering and developing. We educate young people about climate change and environmental issues, making it relevant to their countries of ethnicities and giving them the confidence to talk about these issues at school as experts. This is really important for their long-term educational attainment. Black2Nature supports young people to make progress towards achieving their employment and career aspirations and ambitions.
We provide VME children and young people with generous and healthy food, which is especially important in the holidays for those receiving free school meals. This supports parents who are struggling to put food on the table due to food poverty.
We also provide free laptops and iPads to the children, young people and parents (one per person, not per family) we work with who do not have digital access, which allows the recipients to be able to use them for homework, educational research, CVs and job applications.
We see incredible change in the children and young people who attend our camps and events. We do this through benefits to physical and mental health and well-being, educational attainment and reduction of the racial disparity, tackling the impact of food poverty and reducing the impact of racism and discrimination, whether direct or indirect, at school and college. We give long-term strategies for these, including improving their educational attainment, aspirations, ambitions and career prospects. Through our work, we are reducing the racial educational attainment gap and disparity and tackling the direct and indirect racism and discrimination faced by our children and young people. We know that we are making a difference both for individuals and communities due to the feedback we receive and the outcomes we are seeing for individual children and young people.
We estimate that 50% of our children are supported with Autism and/or ADHD in school. Being outdoors is hugely beneficial to those children, helping them cope with issues that in school can be labelled as “disruptive” or “naughty”. One 17-year-old girl has autism and ADHD, and was quiet and shy. She struggled to make friends but has been volunteering for Black2Nature for four years, which has helped her gain confidence, building good relationships with youth workers, children and young people, and it has been a joy to see her come out of her shell at our camps but also at school.
One 14-year-old boy has been attending since he was 8 years old and has recently (in 2025) been awarded the Ten Tors Bronze award, having walked 45 miles. He is now doing really well, also doing work experience with Black2Nature for his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award.
The work Black2Nature does is directly linked to the census statistics and IND (Indicators of National Deprivation, The English Indices of Deprivation).
Black2Nature is a charity registered with the Charities Commission with the number 1192436 and registered at 257 Ashley Down Road, Bristol, BS7 9BW.
A donation of £50 will contribute towards activities on a two day nature camp for Visible Minority Ethnic inner-city children