Our British countryside is ‘racist’ says charity report

Wildlife and Countryside Link has said the British countryside is a “racist, colonial white space”. 

In a report titled Race and the Environmental Emergency: Call for Written Evidence, it stated: “Our policy recommendations ensure that all people have the right to a healthy natural environment. Racist colonial legacies continue to frame nature in the UK as a ‘white space’ and people of colour as ‘out of place’ in these spaces.” 

The charity added these factors can hinder the use of green spaces by people from ethnic minority backgrounds. 

Leon Challis-Davis of Eat Wild said: “It is important to form an opinion on the countryside for yourself. I grew up in rural areas and there will always be individuals with backward views. Look at football and cricket, which are still plagued by issues of this nature. Progress can be achieved by heading into these environments to demonstrate that people of ethnic backgrounds are not cowed by words. A positive outlook will change attitudes.” 

Following coverage in the national press, the charity said remarks in the report were “taken out of context”.