Nature for all: A study into how Europe’s Protected Areas are engaging with refugee and asylum seeker communities

For the last year, the Alfred Toepfer Natural Heritage Scholarship supported the work of young conservationists in Protected Areas across Europe. Hayden Bridgeman was one of the winners of the Scholarship in 2023 and travelled to Greece to learn more about how Protected Areas can better engage with marginalised communities such as refugee and asylum seekers.

Nature for all: A study into how Europe’s Protected Areas are engaging with refugee and asylum seeker communities

My name is Hayden Bridgeman and I am a Ranger for the New Forest National Park Authority and a winner of an Alfred Toepfer Scholarship Award. Through this scholarship I have studied how we are engaging with one of our most vulnerable communities in society – refugees and asylum seekers. We, as a society, are so aware of how crucial access to nature is for good mental health and wellbeing, yet those that need it most are often unable to access it. I want to continue to make sure we are doing all we can to change that across our protected landscapes.

I would like to preface my studies by saying I do not have lived experience, but I am an advocate and a friend to this community and want to ensure we are doing all that we can to build cohesive, inclusive communities with nature and mental wellbeing at the heart.

It is vital to remember how important the language we use is in relation to society’s most vulnerable communities. Not only this but it is important to remember that there is a legal difference. Using the wrong terminology can be extremely damaging to communities of displaced people and can have a detrimental effect on their mental health and wellbeing and their journey in acclimatising to a new life.

Asylum Seeker

An asylum seeker is an individual who is seeking international protection. In countries with individualised procedures, an asylum seeker is someone whose claim has not yet been finally decided on by the country in which he or she has submitted it. Not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognised as a refugee, but every refugee is initially an asylum seeker.

Refugee

A refugee is a person who has fled their country of origin and is unable to or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

Migrant

An economic migrant is someone who leaves his or her country of origin purely for financial and/or economic reasons. Economic migrants choose to move in order to find a better life and they do not flee because of persecution. Therefore, they do not fall within the criteria for refugee status and are not entitled to receive international protection.

It is imperative that governments/communities/media understand the distinction. Countries have specific responsibilities tied to legislation to help anyone seeking sanctuary and fleeing war and persecution – refugees. It is not the same for migrants.

Through this project I visited three charities in Greece working in both urban environments and National Parks to support refugees and asylum seekers in the outdoors and was able to share in their learning and progress.  I was also able to talk directly to individuals that are part of the displaced community and have been able to gather an extensive list of the barriers faced for refugee and asylum seekers accessing nature – it’s important to identify the barriers so that we can find solutions.

It’s an extensive list:

• Expensive or non-existent public transport
• Racial profiling
• Safety concerns
• A lack of family support and often women having to be the sole care giver for children
• Lack of time due to having to navigate lengthy legal processes, acquiring medical assistance and housing
• Low mental health and feeling unwelcome

These are all barriers for everyday life for this community but when accessing nature. As protected area practitioners we can help to remove some of the barriers.

Some brilliant work is taking place with nature connection sessions aiding mental wellbeing and learning how to grow your own food being successful, engaging and beneficial sessions. Something else that was really successful is enabling individuals to carry out citizen science and be a part of community conservation. However transport is and continues to be the biggest barrier to accessing these opportunities.

There are some key take aways on how to make engagement in the outdoors successful:

• Actively listen, ask questions and don’t assume. When creating itineraries for trips and visits ensure you’ve asked what works for the group and what doesn’t. Experiencing nature is not a ‘one size fits all’ mentality, not everyone benefits from a 10km hike, simply being able to sit and talk to others in a green space is enough.
• Start by working in a space that groups know and trust. Take your protected area to this community – whether it’s into a refugee centre, or a local church they meet in to have English lessons.
• Work in partnership with charities that are a trusted contact for this community. This is important for building trust and understanding. Talk to a contact
• Be flexible in your approach and be prepared to rearrange visits if the group need to due to low mental health and anxieties, it can take longer to plan sessions
• Have an outdoor ‘kit library’ from wellies to raincoats that can be a shared and used by multiple groups
• Using google translate to navigate the language barrier as well as having printed photos of the wildlife that’s being talked about in the outdoor environment
• Tea and coffee and picnics are a valuable ice breaker and chance to relax and create a good atmosphere where people feel more comfortable
• Put sustainable and affordable transport at the top of every agenda. If we are to open green spaces to all they must be easy and affordable to navigate through

Whether you are an educator or a policy maker this report aims to help Protected Area professionals continue to create change by not only demonstrating practical tools that can be used but also providing tangible advice and hearing directly from this community themselves on how we can do more and be better in continuing to open green spaces to all.

There is also a network being built for those wanting to swap notes on best practise – please email me to learn more.

Read the full report here!