The collective organizes regular walks, each lasting a couple of hours, taking a group on pre-planned routes through one of London’s parks or natural reserves. Being able to travel is a privilege and anyway, we’re so blessed with green space in London.” “We do want to do some trips further afield,” Olanipekun says, “but we’ll definitely always keep some local walks too. They are mindful, though, of ensuring they remain as accessible as possible. Zaineb Abelqueįlock Together had originally planned to meet once per month but are now increasing the frequency of their trips due to the levels of demand they’ve seen. And spending time outdoors forces you to do that.”įlock Together’s Founders, Nadeem Perera And Ollie Olanipekun. “It’s a question of perspective,” he says. And then one bird led me onto another.” He considers it an almost meditative activity, which has had a profound impact on his own mental health. I didn’t know what it was then, of course – I’d only been familiar with woodpeckers from cartoons. “I was in school very little, so I was just sitting outside on my own one day and saw a green woodpecker. “It was a coping mechanism for me during a turbulent teenage period,” he says. Perera took to birdwatching as a teenager, after finding himself disaffected while at school. “We started speaking,” says Perera, “and four days later we went on our first walk together.” Not long after that, the two formed Flock Together. In fact, it was 26-year-old sports coach and fellow London resident, Nadeem Perera. “Running a business, trying to keep it going during coronavirus and with everything that’s been happening with Black Lives Matter…I’ve always used nature for stress relief, so I just started going into natural spaces and taking pictures of birds.” After putting the images up on his Instagram page, Olanipekun began to notice a new commenter who was (correctly) identifying every species he posted: “I assumed it was gonna be some old man,” he said. “Over the last few months, I had been feeling so burned out,” says Flock Together’s co-founder Ollie Olanipekun, who also heads up a creative agency in London. It’s that sense of respite from day-to-day life that the collective is trying to foster. But we’re never encouraged to become an astronaut, or to become involved in the environment.” “We’re encouraged to become footballers, basketball players, R&B singers. And I didn’t realize how much I needed the chance to wind down.” “It’s nice to do something outside of my comfort zone. “Being around nature again is a bit like finding a new language,” he says. Kieron, a 29-year-old poet who’s here on his third trip with the group, agrees. “It feels like it’s been my first time outside in about four months,” says Tovah, a 30-year-old tailor and another first-timer. As introductions are made, and binoculars and snacks are handed out, there’s a rising sense of anticipation from the gathered attendees. Participants are advised to wear dark clothing (to avoid frightening the birds away), but otherwise they could be headed anywhere: the printed shirts, nylon jackets and sneakers on display are a far cry from the popular conception of birdwatchers in pac-a-macs and lunch-stained fleeces. As it turns out, the dress code is pretty straightforward.
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