I didn\u2019t recognise that I was as worthy of a relationship with the natural world as anyone else
Dawood Qureshi<\/footer><\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
It\u2019s been a tough week; yards of university work piling up, final stress and personal issues \u2013 my mind is scraping to a halt. I need to escape this suffocating bubble. But where to go? The answer presents itself as refreshingly as it has done before. Go to the sea.<\/p>\n
The Portsmouth coast is stunning. The salty tang of the ocean air sits deliciously on your tongue, and the crunch of cockles, mussels and sand beneath your feet is a rhythm to calm the soul. But I\u2019ve not always been this comfortable in nature. There was a time when my heart would beat faster and my instincts would sharpen as I stooped into a bird hide or passed others on a woodland trail. I would never have dreamt of going on these adventures alone so audaciously.<\/p>\n
Nature is so often said to have a calming effect, but it is often forgotten that this narrative only exists because those who have narrated it feel this way. The views of the minority that feel uncomfortable in this paradise have generally been ignored.<\/p>\n
I speak from experience. I would walk into a reserve and not once see a person that looked as I did. I would wander past couples whose smiles would turn down as they glanced upon my face and noticed the shades apart we were. The feeling of being different crept in every time.<\/p>\n
And yet. Things are changing. I find solace far more in nature nowadays, I take pride in my difference and seek strength from the similar souls I have found, and the sense that diversity and inclusion are top of the agenda. There is a drive now to make the world of nature a place for everyone, no matter who you are or where you hail from.<\/p>\n

You may also like:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Groups working to improve diversity and accessibility in the UK outdoors<\/a><\/li>\n
Why are there so few female wildlife photographers?<\/a><\/li>\n
Is the countryside the reserve of the privileged?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
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$\""Illustration.\"$ <\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>
Writing this article, I talked to icons of the conservation industry, people at the forefront of research who are championing diversity, who have fought to get where they are and have been fighting for others. What did they all have in common? They are like me: minorities, ethnically diverse people. Talking to them, I understood how we got to a place where the conservation and wildlife industry is, astoundingly, the second-least diverse sector in the UK, and \u2013 more importantly \u2013 how the tide is turning.<\/p>\n
OK…did anyone expect this…because I didn’t….???????? honoured to be gracing the pages of @attitudemag<\/a> alongside these wonderful human beings talking about the ocean!!! pic.twitter.com\/0tujPv9VvS<\/a><\/p>\u2014 ????Dawood Qureshi???? they\/she ????\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f????\ufe0f\u200d???? (@GoWildForBees) April 20, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>