Whilst I have the great privilege of being Chief Executive of Devon Wildlife Trust, first and foremost I am a husband and a father. I suspect I am in good company when I say that the responsibilities of parenthood – trying to nurture a happy and confident human being with the values we believe in as a family – provided the catalyst for me to first consider the role I need to play as an ally. For me, being an ally is not just about role modelling for my daughter, it’s about using my agency in support of the fundamental principle of equal opportunity, not least the right of universal access to nature.  

My wife and I were both fortunate to grow up in family contexts where nature was all around us. Where we were given every opportunity to bask in the joy of nature. And where – save for the occasional egregious acts of misogyny inflicted upon my wife by whilst out birdwatching – we have always been welcomed and accepted by fellow humans enjoying the natural world. We have the ability to access nature and the means to live in a city and county blessed with a fabulous natural environment. And nobody questions or undermines our ability to do so.  

But sadly, tragically, that is not the case for everybody. Households with an annual income under £10,000 are 3.6 times more likely to have no outdoor space where they live and 40% less likely to live within a 10-min walk of a public natural green space, as compared with households earning over £60,000 (Recovering Together, RSPB, 2020). 

If you are a person of colour you are more than twice as likely as a white person to live in areas in England that are most deprived of green space. Almost 40% of people of colour live in England’s most green space-deprived neighbourhoods, compared to 14% of white people (England’s Green Space Gap, Friends of the Earth, 2020). 

And members of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to experience prejudice and discrimination while accessing nature; although The Wildlife Trusts are certainly making progress regarding representation in our workforce, with 15% of staff describing themselves as LGBTQ+ (The Wildlife Trusts’ Diversity Report, 2023).  

As a white, English, middle-class, cisgender, straight man I am afforded all the privileges that our society confers. It is incumbent on me, therefore, to do all I can to change that; to take action that moves our world to a place where anyone and everyone can enjoy those privileges which, for the most part, fell to me at birth.  

Which is why, with my family and colleagues, I shall be attending Plymouth Pride this month on behalf of DWT. I will be there to celebrate Devon’s nature and to welcome everybody in enjoying the simple joys and essential benefits that nature bring us. And I will be there because at DWT, we believe that nature is for everyone and that everyone has a role to play in its recovery. We want to empower people of all backgrounds and abilities to connect with nature, and to take action for wildlife where they live, learn and work.  

For only one thing troubles me more than the desperate declines in biodiversity, and that is the worry that some people don’t even have the opportunity to take action to fight that crisis. When everyone has equal and indiscriminate access to the natural world, then I truly believe we will no longer have a nature and climate crisis. Or we will, at least, be well on our way to fixing it.  

So when I march at Pride with the LGBTQ+ community, I shall be there not only in celebration of diversity and inclusion, I shall be there full of hope for the world as it could be. A world where we value human diversity just as we do biodiversity. Darwin taught us that nature thrives on diversity. And so do we.

On the way to Exeter pride this year we spoke to our children about its meaning.  We spoke about the importance of being who you are, never doubting your significance, your value and everything you have to offer. We spoke about pride in a community diverse and tolerant, interesting and inclusive; a community that believes in equality and supports everyone to meet their full potential.

Being an ally is a no brainer.  To stand united by love, compassion and the knowledge that diversity makes us a stronger society should be the standard.  To believe in less leaves us weak.

In nature diversity is what makes our environment robust: a woodland made of many species of trees is less vulnerable to diseases such as ash dieback than a woodland of only two or three species; bumblebees feeding on a variety of flowering plants have a stronger immune system than those feeding on a single food source.  As a society, like nature, we need diversity to thrive. I choose to stand for and celebrate that. 

While wandering the streets of Munich Pride last summer, my partner and I were charmed by the culture of the day. We greedily gobbled our way through the crowds in the Marienplatz and ineffectively speaking German as we went, but no words were necessary as the happiness there was infectious. As darkness embraced light, so too did we. Salsa played on the bandstand, and we eagerly fell into the crowd. After standing on each other’s toes for a while, we left to walk the empty streets one last time, digesting the brilliant day we had had.

And so, I am a proud ally. And I am very thankful to be welcomed by a great community of people here in Devon. I would encourage you to get involved on days like these; don’t miss out on an opportunity to celebrate! It can be overwhelming as an ally looking into the LGBTQ+ community; there are many nuances that I do not understand. But friends have helped me by letting me know that curious questions are welcome, but that your curiosities are coming from a place that nurtures psychological safety and respect. I am thankful to those who have taught me about queer culture and for the fun that we have shared. There are fascinating queer stories out there, and many of them don’t come from humans!