In this video, Frankie highlights how the stereotyping of young people in nature denies them access to enjoying the benefits of nature. 

Young people are being denied access to nature reserves. Some older people are stereotyping young people as troublemakers. Young people are perceived as a threat to wildlife. I want to show that young people value nature and are not looking to harm nature. 

Everyone associates young groups of people as trouble and a disturbance to the local space.

I feel as if groups of teenagers hanging around in nature always get a bad reputation because everyone associates young groups of people as trouble and a disturbance to the local space.  It’s shocking how when specific people perceive groups of young people for the first several times, they would always think that every group is like that when in reality they’re not.  This can have a negative impact on young people especially because they’re being cut off from nature by basically stereotyping and this can drastically impact not just young people but others who’re into nature who defend young people too. 

Most young groups who’re into nature like to travel with their friends to get an idea of what is out there in the world and it’s very calm too. It’s a problem when other people outside the group are involved since most people think that all young groups are a nuisance. They really should be given a chance to explore."  

This piece was created by Frankie Robertson 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.