Nadeem Perera says his earliest connection to nature was watching macaques scrabble over balconies and geckos slither over paths while visiting family in Sri Lanka, but it was a chance encounter with a woodpecker in a London graveyard that really set him on his current course.

Born and raised in East Ham, the co-founder of Flock Together has always been anything but conventional. Now, he's finding new ways to challenge the underrepresentation of Black, Brown and other POC in the outdoors space.

What started as a birdwatching club in London has now grown into an unstoppable community movement with chapters in Tokyo, Toronto, and New York. Flock Together is so popular that it's even caught the eye of global brands. But for Nadeem, it's all about inspiring others: "Before we started doing our thing, people didn't see black people with binoculars. And black people hadn't seen that either".

In this episode of Connect to Nature, Amy Chapman and Katrina Ridley get the lowdown on exactly why Nadeem was hanging out in that graveyard, what niche hobbies he wants to 'make sexy', and what it means to be a change-maker in a traditionally white, middle-class world.

#Birdwatching #FlockTogether #Connect2Nature

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Liz Bonnin says she was 'born into nature'

The wildlife biologist and broadcaster spent her childhood summers running through the mango groves of Martinique and snorkelling with her cousins around the coral reefs of Trinidad. Now one of the nation's most recognised science communicators, she's spent most of her adult life communicating the magic of nature on screen.

But it hasn't been easy, and even Liz admits that documenting the climate crisis up close has taken its toll at times. 

In this episode of Connect to Nature, she shares her life tips with Amy and Katrina ('you don't have to have it all worked out'), explains why indigenous communities hold the key to a better planet, and opens up about the time climate anxiety kept her in bed for a month.

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Log off. Touch grass. 🌍 Join us to connect to nature, big feelings and positive actions with Amy Chapman & Katrina Ridley.

Connect to Nature is a new visualised podcast and social media brand with a strong focus on nature and the environment, discussing eco-anxiety and embracing positive actions. Hosted by Amy Chapman (@inthecottagegarden) and Katrina Ridley (@katrina_ridley) Connect to Nature redefines what it means to get close to nature and looking after the planet.

Season 1 launches on March 30th. From discovering wild places, rewilding responsibly and challenging fast fashion to embracing technology, battling eco anxiety, and exploring how creativity and music and bring us back to the wild. It's about climate, connection and community, but also those small everyday moments that remind us how good it feels to step outside.

Join passionate guests Liz Bonnin, Nadeem Perera, the Youngwilders, Joyceleyn Longdon, Dr Mya-Rose Craig, Joshua Adeyemi, Tori Tsui and Dominique Palmer and connect to nature.

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