Unlocking Nature and the Outdoors: communities, race, gender and class

Event details

A growing body of scientific research identifies that spending time in green spaces or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. Access to nature and participation in outdoor activity offers an attractive means of promoting social inclusion and can have a wide range of social, economic and health benefits (Ward-Thompson, 2016, Brown, 2019,). However, for decades a reoccurring research finding shows disparities between groups with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities ‘locked out’ of nature and the outdoors because of organisational and interpersonal barriers (1999 Humberstone, 2005 DEFRA Diversity Review Singh and Mazzoni, 2007 Backbone, 2021).

Led by the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, this Black History Month seminar will explore this issue from the perspective of researchers and practitioners working in the field. The aim is to create a space to bring people together for dialogue; sharing of experiences and identifying strategies and actions to unlocking nature and the outdoors to marginalised communities.

Speakers

Pammy Johal - Founder of Backbone CIC
Dr Geeta Ludhra - Lecturer in Education at Brunel University
Andre Kpodonu - Head of activism at Feedback

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