Many young people face barriers to entering into the environmental sector or spending time in nature. Max reflected on his own feelings and experiences of not feeling welcome in nature, and shared them through this photo series.

The issue that I focused on was not feeling welcome in nature. This is something that I've personally experienced, as well other young people I have spoken to. This affects young Londoners because when people try to get into nature they can feel as if it’s “not for them” or that they don’t fit in. On top of this, (volunteer) groups can also feel cliquey and not open to newcomers.

I was trying to show the divide. How one section can flourish (green) while the other is grey/dead

I was also trying to encapsulate what it means to not be welcome

The swan photo can demonstrate the disparity of this theme; it could show that the swans are prospering inside the gate and not open to newcomers, or it could show how they have been left behind and can't access the amazing wetlands on the other side

The photo of the mound was to show how it is sometimes like a mountain to some people, a big hill to climb

The photo of the squirrel was showing how it’s perhaps lost and entangled in the undergrowth, not being able to see where it is - scared and out of place.

This piece was created by Max Lawson on the Keeping It Wild Traineeship with London Wildlife Trust. The traineeship is one strand of the Keeping It Wild Project. This project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and this particular activity strand was supported by Tallow Chandlers.