When faced with the question 'what issues do young Londoners face in nature and the environmental sector?', many young people answer that there is not enough information out there that speaks to young people and it isn't aimed mainly at children and early years. Leila, Lara and Georgina explore this through photo stories.

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Camden’s Cryptic Copse by Leila Laco

[On the lack of knowledge that young people have access to about wild spaces in their local area]

I have chosen this issue because there is small nature reserve near me, called Belsize Woods. It is a really nice place but it seems to me that many people walk past it regularly but much fewer people actually enter the reserve, and there is little awareness of it outside of the immediate area.

I think it is important that young Londoners in particular are aware of the wild space in their area, so that they can enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of being in nature. Additionally, people who feel connected to nature are more likely to want to protect it, so increasing people’s access to nature helps the environment as well.

I have put a positive spin on the issue by showcasing the beauty of the reserve, including the nearby houses and blocks of flats in some of the photos to demonstrate how the reserve is in the middle of a residential area.

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Young Londoners: Stop and smell the flowers! by Lara Britton

There's a stigma around young people in nature, which can deter young people to engage with nature. It's important because all people should equally access nature and feel comfortable doing so. I took some photos when out with friends in London, first in a green space where we went to birdwatch, and then some buildings to look for small plants growing in the cracks.

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From Children to Adults - The contrast between target audiences. By Georgina Ujhelyi

A lot of information aimed at children, and this gets less as you get older. I think it's important because it's crucial for teens, and adults to have opportunities and communities that they can learn from. Also, these are the ages when it's possible to make decisions about how we want to live our lives, certainly based on the information we have. That's where education becomes supreme.

I've noticed that for adults sustainability and nature became more about ads, money, what you have to buy to save the planet, and less about skills and knowledge. Yeah, there are information boards placed in a few places, but you have to dig for actual opportunities within the sector. Thankfully, they have grown in numbers over the years, especially since last year - online events made it possible for a lot more people to join in on the conversation, but there has to be a willingness.

This piece was created by Leila Laco, Lara Britton andGeorgina Ujhelyi during our online delivery of the Wild Action Programme with the London Wildlife Trust. The Wild Action Programme 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 the George Bairstow Charitable Trust.