"Amid her calls for governments to act on climate change, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has spoken openly about her Asperger’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She is not the only environmental campaigner to speak about being neurodivergent (having a neurological condition or disability) – something Thunberg describes as her 'superpower'.
"In the UK, naturalists #ChrisPackham and #DaraMcAnulty have both discussed their autism. Packham has said that it has been 'enormously beneficial' to his career.
"In my doctoral research, I interviewed 23 youth activists, conservation workers and environmentalists to examine the link between nature experiences and mental health in an era of climate breakdown. My findings shed light on the motivations and intentions of neurodivergent people who work in the environmental and conservation sector, as well as those who are drawn to climate activism.
"Many of my participants had been diagnosed with mental health, psychiatric and neurological conditions including autism, #ADHD and #bipolar disorder. They reported finding community and a sense of purpose in the #environmental#activism movement and through a connection with #nature."