Growing up in a wheelchair in inner-city London, nature and the countryside weren’t high on my agenda. They felt like something for “other people” that I didn’t really have access to.
Then, aged eight, I went on a school trip to a huge estate with wide open green spaces, trees, and ravines. It changed my relationship with the natural world. Lots of people – particularly those from urban areas – can feel a disconnect with nature.
The pandemic brought this into sharp focus and it felt like, for the first time, people were beginning to experience a new relationship with their surroundings.
Now it’s crucial we nurture this connection. On a recent visit to the National Trust’s Wicken Fen, Cambs, I was blown away. It’s our oldest nature reserve, home to more than 9,000 species, and offers a reminder that some of the most stunning natural landscapes are on our doorstep.
Physical access to the outdoors is very important to me. It’s crucial for our mental and physical health. As a youngster this felt an unassailable barrier.
But it is heartening to see that things are changing. Tramper mobility scooters at National Trust locations, boardwalks and accessible trails are great to see.
Some problems – like climate change – might feel too big to tackle on our own, but there are things we can do as individuals to help halt damage to the environment.
Whether that is reducing emissions, lowering the heating or “going wild” once a week, it can become a huge collective effort that protects our natural assets.
We have planted grasses in our garden and added a living roof, which brings butterflies, bees and birds. We love being outdoors as a family, watching the garden come to life.
One of my proudest achievements is being a father, and I’m committed to doing what I can to ensure my son, Bolla, grows up in a world rich with nature and feels the same awe I felt on that school trip all those years ago.
●For a short film of Ade at Wicken Fen, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/nature/watch-the-wild-life-nature-video-series
HOW YOU CAN HELP
THE Save Our Wild Isles campaign is calling on the public to show their love of nature by committing to “Go Wild Once A Week”. That could mean making space for nature in your neighbourhoods by planting wildflower seeds in a window box or green space, eating less meat or getting involved in local community projects, or joining the three charities in urging our leaders to act now for nature’s recovery. It could also mean adding your voice to the People’s Plan For Nature.
● Find out more about it, and add your views at peoplesplanfornature.org
AT HOME Whatever your outdoor space, you can help nature thrive. If you have grass, set aside no-mow areas to allow a wider variety of plants and wildflowers to thrive, attracting insects like grasshoppers, crickets and butterflies.
If you don’t have grass, could you convert any gravel or paving?
Even potted plants or window boxes will make a difference.
Cut out chemical herbicides and pesticides. It might be less convenient but for more wildlife, it’s a must.
Make holes in fences or walls for wildlife to move from your outdoor space to neighbours’ spaces.
Share what you’re doing with the people next door so they can get involved, too. If you’re limited on space, how using fences or brick walls for planters and nesting boxes to give nature a home? And don’t forget to go peat-free with your compost when planting. Peatlands store carbon, which slows climate change, and are wildlife hotspots.
AT WORK Get your workplace involved in helping nature.
Could you organise a screening of one of the four brand new films by the makers of the BBC’s Wild Isles TV series, in which business leaders like Deborah Meaden explain how important the natural world is for a thriving economy?
Or share the downloadable resources to help organisations and businesses have less impact on the natural world?
Join your organisation’s green team (or start one) and find out where your business’s biggest impacts on nature are, and how you can start tackling them.
IN YOUR COMMUNITY When people come together they can make things happen and every community can help, from planting wildlife-friendly flowers along your road and managing your local green space to encouraging landowners and local authorities to do their bit.
