How did Flock Together start?
I was posting photos of the birds at my local pond on my Instagram. A black fellow began to name the birds. I had never met anyone of color in this space before and had been doing this for 10 years.
I asked him where he lived, thinking he would say the South Downs, Scotland, or some beautiful, vast green space. She told me that she lived in Stoke Newington, northeast of London. I was like, ‘Brother, I’m five minutes away. I’m on Clapton!
I called him and explained my idea of a bird watching collective and he agreed.
We hosted our first Walthamstow Wetlands Walk in June 2020. We had 15 people and it was very informal. Then we post the photos online and BOOM. The response was, and still is, overwhelming. We had tapped into something the world needed and didn’t know about. Our audience was incredibly prepared and no one knew it.
Visibility is the most basic way to encourage people to participate. We promised to publish photos from day one. We document the experience and share it online. Many of us have never seen brown people in the wild. At first it was weird. Two and a half years later we normalized it. There is still work to be done, but we are committed.
How are you disrupting the way the natural world is seen?
We want to use this collective influence to make an impact in a space where it is desperately needed: conservation.
The conservation space is tired. I’m hearing the same thing I’ve been hearing for 20 years, from the same people. They’re just talking to each other, and they all look the same.
Think about people of color and our relationship with nature. Many of our families at home still live with nature and always have. The knowledge we possess should be something that everyone is desperate to hear. But we are not being platforms and profiles.
We are all so busy talking to the privileged: stop using plastic, stop fast fashion, stop this, stop that. And there are many people that we are not even considering in this conversation. I want Flock Together to focus on those people. How do I get a 17-year-old boy from the farm who has never considered nature a space for them, to get excited about it? Because if he excites you with nature, he will understand the need to protect it. At the moment, the conversation is just passing them by.
What is the next stage?
First, infrastructure. Second, take over institutions and reappropriate them for a new world. The Scouts, for example. It was great for a lot of people, but he’s tired on his offer. Do young people today need to learn how to tie a knot in the rain, or will they benefit more from understanding that green spaces will benefit them and their mental health?
Are we giving young people life skills in the industries they want to get into? Can we put leaders in those industries that these young people can identify with?
It’s not about jumping on board with old and tired formats, but about creating new systems. I’m very interested in coalitions, so we’re finding the right organizations that might not have been enlightened.
Who needs to make nature more accessible?
Guardians! Be it brands or institutions. Do more and do it better. The best way for a brand to support a community group is to put up the money and get out of the way. That is the crux of the matter.
For institutions, representation and visibility are essential. We know your problems trying to attract new audiences. So reach out to them and bring them into the boardroom and listen to them.
Would you like to take trips with Flock Together?
We have ideas for a Flock Together tour. The world is crying out for it, but unfortunately many of these organizations are still making the very tired formats to serve the same audience. The black pound is extensive so commit and you will see a return.
You just have to look at every space that people of color have been allowed to flourish in and what that has done to those spaces. Fashion, sport, music: why can’t travel see all this? It stuns me that I don’t understand why there’s no one out there who’s taking advantage of it.
What is the best place you have been to bird watch?
The Gambia is home to more than 600 species of birds. Geographically, it is a great stopover point for migration. My mind was blown. If someone says they are not interested in birds, take them to Gambia, walk 50 meters and you will see 25 different bird species. I guarantee they’ll be hooked in minutes!
Where would you like to go now?
Mongolia. Going to see the eagles in Mongolia and seeing that culture and its relationship with birds… I think I would be completely lost if I had that experience.
I know some people may see it as a problem because these eagles are trained to hunt, but from a cultural standpoint, these communities trust that and do it respectfully.
What advice would you give to someone who is starting to bird watch?
Don’t have expectations. It is the experience around bird watching that is so important. Nature. The time for you. Not having the phone in your hand constantly. Those are the elements that make bird watching great. And if they give you a sighting, then that’s the magic. But magic can’t come every day.
Go to your local green space and you will see several species of birds. And the next time you go, you will look for them and see others. You will quickly begin to notice yourself looking at the trees, at the bushes.
You don’t need any equipment, but for an entry-level pair of binoculars, you’re looking at around £30. You should also pick up the Collins Bird Guide. I call it the bible. Nadeem and I live in that book.
Where else are Flock Together walks happening?
Tokyo is the main. They have an amazing community there that comes out every month, but we’re in talks with the US and we’re taking it to Africa. We are thinking of Atlanta in the United States. It’s one of the blackest states in the US and I think if you can make noise there, it will reach others.
Can you tell me a bit about your book, Outsiders?
It was incredibly difficult to put together. It is very personal: part memoir, part manifesto. For anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. It’s kind of a manual for using nature to help you get through anything. We have big plans to see it in schools. We want young people in nature. This book has stories of how Nadeem and I, two guys who talk and look just like them, use nature to get us through tough times.
Flock Together hosts monthly birding and nature walks for people of color. Follow them for updates and dates on Instagram.
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