Connect to Nature

Flock Together's Nadeem Perera on being his own role model

Connect to Nature

Show Notes

Nadeem Perera says his earliest connection to nature was watching macaques scrabble over balconies and geckos slither over paths while visiting family in Sri Lanka, but it was a chance encounter with a woodpecker in a London graveyard that really set him on his current course.

Born and raised in East Ham, the co-founder of Flock Together has always been anything but conventional. Now, he's finding new ways to challenge the underrepresentation of Black, Brown and other POC in the outdoors space.

What started as a birdwatching club in London has now grown into an unstoppable community movement with chapters in Tokyo, Toronto, and New York. Flock Together is so popular that it's even caught the eye of global brands. But for Nadeem, it's all about inspiring others: "Before we started doing our thing, people didn't see black people with binoculars. And black people hadn't seen that either".

In this episode of Connect to Nature, Amy Chapman and Katrina Ridley get the lowdown on exactly why Nadeem was hanging out in that graveyard, what niche hobbies he wants to 'make sexy', and what it means to be a change-maker in a traditionally white, middle-class world.

#Birdwatching #FlockTogether #Connect2Nature

👋 Follow Connect to Nature:Instagram: @connect2naturepodTikTok: @connect2naturepod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More from Connect to Nature

Oct 19, 2026

Springwatch presenter Megan McCubbin joins Amy Chapman and Katrina Ridley to talk curiosity, courage and wildlife conservation.

Oct 16, 2026

Connect to Nature is BACK, and this time we're discovering that nature turns up in the most unexpected places.Join hosts Amy Chapman and Katrina Ridley for inspiring conversations, fresh ideas and plenty of reasons to look after our planet.In this season, we'll:🌳 Uncover hidden fruit trees in our cities with Divya Hariramani Herrero aka @FruityWalks🎶 Explore how music helps us hear the natural world in a whole new way with Louis VI⚽ Find out what football, comedy and conservation have in common with Elliot Arthur-Worsop from Football for Future and Seònaid Fowler (aka @spaghettysean)🏕️ Head into the wild with wildlife TV presenter Megan McCubbin and Harry Bucknell to learn bushcraft, hiking skills and how time outdoors can change how we feel🌍 Meet people rethinking how we grow food, use technology, build communities and create a greener future with Ellen Bradley from UK Youth for Nature and tech-wiz Kalpana AriasWhether you're a seasoned nature lover or just wondering where to start, nature is closer than you think.Episode one of the latest season drops 19 October. Hit subscribe and tap the bell so you don't miss the new season!Follow us @ConnectToNaturePod, watch and listen wherever you get your podcasts.#Connect2Nature #Connect2Naturepod #naturepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 14, 2026

Can nature help you grieve? 🏔️In this episode, Amy Chapman and Katrina Ridley chat with Tinuke Oyediran, outdoor presenter, Guinness World skater record holder, adventure therapist in training and self-proclaimed nature addict, about how she turned profound loss into healing through adventure.After losing her immediate family, Tinuke solo-hiked the Grand Canyon, mountaineered in Iceland and climbed Kilimanjaro, all the while spreading her mother's ashes on mountain peaks along the way. She shares how she adapts EMDR therapy while hiking (tapping and eye movements on the trail) and why movement and nature can work when traditional therapy rooms don't.We also talk micro-adventures (you don't need Everest!), representation for Black women in the outdoors, her directory Elsewhere for diverse outdoor events in the UK, cold water swimming, and how forest bathing can help you feel calmer TODAY.

Sep 7, 2026

Chef Doug McMaster explains how the food we eat can reconnect us with nature, from regenerative farming to zero-waste living and healthier systems.

Aug 31, 2026

What does your weekly shop have to do with climate justice? 🌍In this episode of Connect to Nature, Amy Chapman and Katrina Ridley are joined by Larissa Kennedy, doctoral researcher, community builder and trustee of the Fairtrade Foundation, to explore how our food choices connect us to people, planet and heritage.Raised in Croydon, she is a 'granddaughter of the Windrush generation', with family roots in Jamaica, Barbados, the Grenadine and St Vincent. Here, Larissa shares why her grandmother's garden offered her first connection to nature, food systems, and climate justice, and how fair trade creates real solidarity between shoppers and farmers on the front lines of the climate crisis.From a sick turtle on a beach to Kenyan tea farmers feeling climate change in real time, this is a conversation about bringing "far away" issues close to home, starting with what's on your plate.🌍 Connect to Nature Season Two is sponsored by the Fairtrade FoundationIf you care about nature, climate change and where your food comes from, Fairtrade's Do It Fair campaign is calling for a future that's fair on the planet. You can help by choosing Fairtrade products and adding your voice to Fairtrade's petition calling for stronger laws to protect people and the planet.Find out more and sign the Fair on the Planet petition at action.fairtrade.org.uk/page....Together, we can help build a future that's fair to people and fair to the planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See all episodes →