“It doesn’t seem obvious to everyone, but the ‘barriers’ marginalized groups talk about when accessing sites like nature reserves can be as simple as not feeling comfortable or “fitting in”. And for LGBTQIA people, that anxiety of not fitting in nearly always has roots of being told our lives or “lifestyle” is at odds with the norm. I was born in the 1980s and was at secondary school in the 1990s, when Thatcher’s Section 28 prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” in schools. No-one should feel they don’t belong because of who they are. And yet, if enough people tell you, you don’t belong, you believe them.
The mental and physical benefits that come with being outdoors and engaging with nature are unparalleled, and so EVERYONE should have equal access. But access is also important for the natural world itself: now, more than ever before, the world needs EVERYONE to be invested in nature – it’s the only way we have any hope of saving it.
I’m proud to be a patron for Froglife because they actively work to make the natural world accessible to everyone. All of their projects have social inclusion at their heart, with one project supporting up to 15 trainees from under-represented groups, and another working with specific groups, including Rainbow Families. Diversity and biodiversity go hand in hand – let’s break down those barriers.
Wishing you all a very happy Pride Month. Kate x”
Inclusivity is central to Froglife’s ethos. Our vision is a world in which reptiles and amphibian populations are flourishing as part of healthy ecosystems. And we know that to achieve this we need to have EVERYONE on board. Our Mission statement reflects this by saying “We engage diverse communities and encourage learning about wildlife conservation.” We are proud of the diversity of staff, volunteers and project participants we have and hope to continue to build on this in the future.
As an organisation we are constantly looking at how we can engage new audiences with conservation and encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds into the sector. Actions taken since the last Pride month include:
- Ensuring we have good representation. LGBTQIA people, are represented at all levels at Froglife, make a massive contribution to Froglife’s work and ethos, and have been valued members of the Froglife community for many years.
- Researching best practice and recent developments, and then revising our our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy.
- Making sure we implement our EDI policy fully, so it is a living document and useful to all our staff and volunteers. We updated our procedures further following advice from a non-binary member of staff.
- Inviting in an external trainer to deliver Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training to all our staff.
- Improving the way we monitor our progress in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Carrying out a review of our practises to ensure we are doing as much as we can to make the work place as inclusive as possible for all staff and volunteers.
- Improving our recruitment procedures to remove barriers for people who may need extra support in the interview process and monitor how well we attract diverse applicants and retain these applicants through the selection process.
- Ensuring that we think through all our projects and consult with people from under-represented groups so that we are reaching those who face the most disadvantage.
- Actively working to make sure that Froglife is an inclusive place to work and volunteer, and that staff, volunteers, Trustees and Patrons are from a wide range of backgrounds.
