Our society, which often demands conformity, causes many people to mask their true selves. Nature offers radical relief: acceptance without judgment and unconditional belonging. Neurodivergence and biodiversity both thrive in freedom and variety. Every tangle of roots, mossy stone and blooming Dandelion is not just a biodiversity success signal, but a metaphor for the vibrancy of neurodiversity.

One of the ways this project embraces both aspects is by foraging for senses. Being free from the need to mask or adapt to neurotypical expectations supports sensory regulation and boosts calmness and creativity. During the walk, together we will explore how natural environments proffer a sense of ease and belonging within them. Participants are urged to open themselves up to what’s often overlooked, to experience nature’s richness from a different vantage point, and to break free from the confining patterns that shape how we sense, move and feel our way through the world.

‘Unmasking Nature’ looks beneath moss and mulch to acknowledge our world full of small and mighty forms, where sinkholes are not dead spaces, but connected wells of creativity and resilience. It challenges us to reconsider biases that favour the visible and the normative; it’s a call to embrace difference as essential to the fabric of life, and to recognise that thriving depends on the unexpected, the non-linear, and the richly diverse.

Through immersive experiences and moments of soft fascination, ‘Unmasking Nature’ encourages us all to arrive with a curious outlook, and leave with a renewed sense of connection to the varied, beautiful ways that minds can move through the world.