The environmental & wildlife TV sector is the second least ethnically diverse sector in the UK, at 0.6% Visible Minority Ethnic (VME), only after gardening, employing a huge number of people around the country including many in Bristol.

I and Black2Nature have been campaigning for almost 5 years to make the sector ethnically diverse so that it engages VME people with nature and the environment. In that time, have organised 9 nature camps for inner-city VME teenagers. The aim is to come up with solutions that sector leaders can implement. This is to follow on from the conference I organised in 2016, before setting up Black to Nature.

This conference is held in conjunction with the Biological Sciences department at UWE. Please get in touch if you can help with Sponsorship.

Cost £50.00 (with free tickets available for those who can not afford to pay including young people, community organisations, small environmental organisations and UWE staff).
 
 
To book: https://bit.ly/2m1ojSI

What we will cover

We will work through the journey of a VME teenager age 13, how to engage them with nature and the environment, helping them choose appropriate GCSE’s and A-Levels, supporting them and their parents through the university application process (after persuading them and educating their parents about careers in conservation), supporting them on courses and workplaces that are almost entirely White British, ensuring none drop out due to isolation, racism and discrimination, closing the attainment gap, mentoring through paid internships, making the most of good work experience opportunities and guiding them through the early years of their careers to age 30.

Speakers
Asher Craig, Deputy Mayor of Bristol
Beccy Speight, CEO RSPB
Chris Packham CBE, Naturalist, TV Presenter & Activist
Cleo Lake, Bristol Green Party Councillor
Dr Emmanuel Adukwu, Senior Lecturer Biomedical Sciences, UWE Bristol
Eric Heath, Head of Land Management Avon Wildlife Trust & Wild Paths
Gene Joyner, CEO Better Food Company
Dr Lyn Newton, Head of Applied Sciences, UWE Bristol
Lara Lalemi, Student Bristol University & organiser of BME in STEM 2019 Conference
Dr Mark Steer, Lecturer Department Applied Sciences, UWE
Mohammed Dhalech, Associate Director Centre for Public Policy Research & Rural Mosaic
Mohammed Saddiq, MD GENeco & Chair Bristol Green Capital Partnership
Dr Mark Steer, Lecturer Applied Sciences, UWE
Mya-Rose Craig, President Black2Nature and environmental and race activist
Peter Venn, Programme Leader MA Wildlife Film, UWE
Dr Stephanie Sargeant, Senior Lecturer, Environmental Science
Stephen Corry, CEO Survival International
Tim Scoones, Consultant in Media, Ex Executive Producer at BBC Natural History Unit
Traci Lewis, Director, Catalyse Change
Tracy Patfield, Operations & Outreach Manager, Icon Films
Zakiya McKenzie, Nature Writer & Green & Black Ambassador

Why is this relevant you?

The lack of engagement with nature has a dramatic impact on:
Physical and mental health – so a crucial issue for anyone working in VME health; and
Educational attainment for our children and young people – so critical for anyone working in education.

Programme – 8.45 am – 4.30 pm

8.45 – 9.15   Registration & refreshments
9.15 – 9.20   Dr Lyn Newton – Welcome from UWE & housekeeping (provisional)
9.20 – 9.30   Mya-Rose Craig – Welcome & making nature relevant

9.30 – 10.15 Panel – Is the environmental sector racist?
Cleo Lake – Chair
Gene Joyner
Mohammed Dhalech
Stephen Corry
10.15 – 11.00 Panel – Engaging VME communities in the  environmental sector
Mohammed Saddiq – Chair
Asher Craig
Beccy Speight
Eric Heath

11.00 – 11.30 Refreshments
11.30 – 12.15 Panel – VME young people & Environmental education
Dr Emmanuel Adukwu – Chair
Lara Lalemi
Dr Mark Steer
Traci Lewis
12.15 – 12.35 Chris Packham CBE – The need for ethnic diversity

12.35 – 13.30 Lunch and networking

13.30 – 14.15 Facilitated workshops, best practice & toolkits – choose 1
1 – Practical steps for environmental organisations
2 – Practical steps for environmental educators

14.15 – 14.45 Feedback from workshops by facilitators

14.45 – 15.45 Panel – Making Wildlife TV & ethnically diverse
Dr Stephanie Sargeant- Chair
Peter Venn
Tim Scoones
Tracy Patfield
Zakiya McKenzie
15.45 – 15.50 UWE Dean’s address (provisional)
15.50 – 16.00 Mya-Rose Craig, Closing notes
16.00 – 16.30 Refreshments & networking
Sponsors

Thank you to UWE for providing a venue and sponsoring the event, Avon Wildlife Trust, Bristol Multi-Faith Forum, Greenpeace, Icon Films, Plimsoll Productions, The Wildlife Trusts and Wild Paths for sponsoring the event.
Who should attend

It is intended that attendees will include (but not limited to) those from nature conservation charities and universities offering biological science, ecology, wildlife, nature conservation or similar courses, BAME naturalists, representatives of young naturalists and conservationists, policymakers, groups working with BAME and Faith communities, nature media, BBC and other nature TV production companies, inner-city secondary schools especially Heads of Science and Geography, Councils and Park Services working in BAME areas, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Girl Guides and Scouts, City Farms, optics companies and wildlife publishers as well as other interested organisations.

Social Media

We will be posting through the day. It would be fantastic if you could also share the day using the hashtag #raceequalityinnature. Please, can you follow and tag Mya-Rose Craig; Twitter @BirdgirlUK, FB myarosebirdgirlcraig, Instagram @birdgirluk and LinkedIn Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig.