Laura
Access to Nature Project Assistant
Age - 26
After completing her Masters degree during the pandemic, Laura faced the challenge of trying to break into the environmental sector while experiencing autistic burnout.
Becoming the Access to Nature Project Assistant at RSPB Belfast marked a turning point for Laura. The New to Nature placement empowered Laura to rebuild her confidence in a role designed to make nature more accessible for people like her.
Despite her qualifications and years of unpaid volunteering, she found most roles - and the recruitment processes - largely inaccessible due to the pressures of interviews and the social demands of new environments.
When Laura discovered the Access to Nature job posting, she knew it would be the perfect job for her. It combined her passion for conservation with her drive to create a more accessible environmental sector. Encouraged by RSPB’s commitment to inclusivity in the job description, Laura felt confident she would have her needs and any accommodations met.
In her role, Laura contributed across various areas at RSPB, including practical conservation, visitor engagement whilst also figuring out ways to make the reserve more accessible to neurodivergent people.
“This was the first job I’ve had where my neurodiversity was actually an asset and not something that I had to cover up or something that made me less employable. Not only is the job accessible to me, the placement is centred around making nature more accessible to people like me.”
Flexible working hours and a supporting work environment enabled Laura to thrive in the role, where she gained the tools and confidence to pursue a meaningful career continuing to make nature more accessible for all.
Since completing her placement, Laura has secured a temporary role as a Visitor Experience Assistant with RSPB. She continues to advocate for accessibility and has the opportunity to apply her learning from her placement to have an even greater impact.
New to Nature is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the celebrations to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the King’s Coronation, delivered through a partnership of Groundwork, The King’s Trust, Disability Rights UK, Mission Diverse and the Youth Environmental Service.
