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Neurodivergent, By Nature: Why Biodiversity Needs Neurodiversity
Joe Harkness, author of the acclaimed Bird Therapy, investigates the connections between nature and neurodiversity
Time in nature supports our well-being. For people who are neurodivergent, it can also stimulate our senses, feed our curiosity and help us find others who share our deep passions. But why do natural environments have such profound effects? If children with autism, ADHD and other neurodivergences spend more time outdoors, could it improve their educational experiences and outcomes? And if they nurture nature connections into adulthood, could this form the roots of their identities?
After receiving an ADHD diagnosis in his thirties, Joe began to question whether his bond with nature was intrinsic to his neurodivergence or something developed through his life choices.
Keen to know more, he connected with other neurodivergent people. Threading their stories with his own, Joe explores why they chose to get diagnosed, the ways they seek solace and understanding through nature, and what led many of them into nature-related careers. He describes the barriers they face in education and employment and the adjustments that can ensure they thrive in a world designed for neurotypical brains.
In his honest and funny new book, Joe highlights the importance of connecting with nature and the skills, creativity and passion we can bring to communities and workplaces when we welcome and support neurodiversity in all its forms.
Time in nature supports our well-being. For people who are neurodivergent, it can also stimulate our senses, feed our curiosity and help us find others who share our deep passions. But why do natural environments have such profound effects? If children with autism, ADHD and other neurodivergences spend more time outdoors, could it improve their educational experiences and outcomes? And if they nurture nature connections into adulthood, could this form the roots of their identities?
After receiving an ADHD diagnosis in his thirties, Joe began to question whether his bond with nature was intrinsic to his neurodivergence or something developed through his life choices.
Keen to know more, he connected with other neurodivergent people. Threading their stories with his own, Joe explores why they chose to get diagnosed, the ways they seek solace and understanding through nature, and what led many of them into nature-related careers. He describes the barriers they face in education and employment and the adjustments that can ensure they thrive in a world designed for neurotypical brains.
In his honest and funny new book, Joe highlights the importance of connecting with nature and the skills, creativity and passion we can bring to communities and workplaces when we welcome and support neurodiversity in all its forms.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published July 31, 2025
16 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 11, 2025
When I was going to school, which feels like a hundred years ago, having any label associated with you would make you a target for bullies. Back then, these labels were demeaning and patronising, and if you weren’t one of the cool kids and didn’t fit in with most of the regular students, your difference made you a target.
Even if you didn’t have a label, some kids found it really difficult to fit in with the majority of pupils. You either were lonely, or if lucky, you might find a small niche group that has similar interests. I was one of those pupils, and Joe Harkness was another. Joe has been diagnosed, and that has helped him come to terms with the way he is. I haven’t gone down that rout,e and at the moment, I am not considering following up on this. In those days, you’d be considered odd. Nowadays, in this partially enlightened time, you can get a diagnosis that is covered by the broad description of neurodivergent.
This book is Harkness’s journey into nature with his and other people’s neurodiversity. He conducted lots of interviews with people who work in all sorts of roles in nature and the conservation world. A lot were conducted face to face, but time and other circumstances meant that some took place online or by other methods. A lot were happy to share their names, details of where they worked, and any specific diagnosis, and some chose to remain anonymous. The conversations are about how they cope with life, work, the universe and moths…
There is almost no research into the effects that nature has on those with neurodiversity diagnoses. But where there have been studies, most concentrate on younger people. That is understandable, but it does miss swathes of people out. The studies showed that neurodivergent young people could concentrate much better when in a woodland setting when compared to an urban setting.
The natural world is seen as a non-judgmental space; it doesn’t tell people off, and it forgives. A balm for neurodivergent individuals. For them, being in nature is stimulating, but not excessively so. ADHD and autistic people tend to explore rather than exploit an environment, and it is a reminder of how indigenous people treat the landscape around them.
He considers if working in the conservation sector is good for neurodivergent people. Jobs in the UK are either government or NGO (RSPB and so on), and these are wide-ranging and varied. These roles can be especially suited to autistic people, the daily routines and rituals can remain the same, but the day varies because the location is different, the wildlife they observe changes, different weather and seasonal variations. The conservation sector is inherently caring; they are trying their best to look after the planet after all. There is nominally a chain of command, but this is often circumvented as the person with the best ideas and experience often takes the lead.
I thought that the Out Of The Box chapter was really interesting. He is looking at the theory that ADHD and autism are superpowers. Harkness’ initial opinion is that they aren’t. However, he talks to people who feel that their ability to hyperfocus on a task gives them a noticeable edge for certain skills, bird song identification, for example. Another individual he speaks to has dyslexia, and they feel that this gives them an ability to distil ideas that they then become meaningful and understandable to many others. Someone else has the ability to walk around a nature reserve once and have a map imprinted in their memory.
Lots of people have very niche specialist interests, some of which Harkness talks about with them. A good organisation can harness this mix of skills and by having both neurodivergent and non- neurodivergent staff will make for a stronger and more balanced team. One individual Harkness interviews, went from almost being excluded at school to creating a $50b scheme for mangrove restoration. And this is one of many stories of the successes of neurodivergent people working in conservation.
Even though things are improving for neurodivergent people, the barriers for some to gain employment in the conservation sector are sometimes set really high. It is difficult to gain entry when it feels like some of these decisions have already been taken prior to interviews. Having to undertake voluntary work in the sector only works when you have a supportive and fairly wealthy family. Should they overcome these hurdles a get the job, a starting salary of £18k is laughable but very common. So if you’re a female, neurodivergent and coloured, then it is almost impossible to be able to get a job, which hence why there are only 6% coloured people working in conservation. Less than 50% of the organisations have anything resembling an equality, diversity and inclusion policy (EDI). Link that to endemic institutionalised racism, and it isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Companies have a legal requirement to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ when employing people to ensure that all employees have a level playing field. However, the term ‘reasonable ‘ is very broad… Sadly, making a potential employer aware of your disability is a sure-fire way to not get the job. Harkness himself has had mixed responses and support from employers in the past and outlines the good and the bad. He does hear the horror stories and also writes about the organisations that are doing things really well. He notes that for some neurodivergent people, it is the interactions that they have with other people that is the problem, not the interactions that they have with nature.
Harkness looks at some of the well-known conservation organisations and their policies and, more importantly, their actions on EDI and neurodiversity. He even gets to talk to a government department about their policies. It was interesting to see that a substantial number of people who were responsible for this also have neurodivergent conditions. The better organisations use a workplace passport scheme for all employees; this makes it fair and reduces discrimination in the workplace.
Harkness also contacts a number of smaller conservation organisations to find out how they manage neurodivergent staff. About 50% of those he had contacted replied to him, and of those, they had policies and processes in place that helped neurodivergent staff to integrate and feel valued. Some of these conservation charities are tiny, only having six staff in some cases, so the office rules that bigger organisations have don’t really apply in these instances.
A friend of my wife runs a forest school, and until I read the chapter in this book, I must admit I didn’t really know a huge amount about it. The non-threatening environment works for everyone, especially the kids. He also visits a care farm that takes in kids who don’t really fit in the regular school system. If only more kids had these opportunities.
His final chapter talks about stories having a beginning, middle and end. Except life isn’t like that, especially if you’re neurodivergent or have ADHD, it is a super nova of themes, ideas, and threads to be followed. This book had come about from someone mentioning to Harkness that most people in the conservation sector were neurodivergent.
Overall, I thought this was a very interesting and informative book about how neurodivergent people can thrive in nature-centred organisations. Provided the organisation that they work for has put in place sympathetic schemes and systems for them. The thing to remember is that these systems work perfectly for ‘normal’ people too, unlike the other way around. Most of the people that Harkness has spoken to, to create this book, have had a positive experience with how they are treated, but there is the odd horror story in here! If you are or know anyone who is neurodivergent, then I think that you will find, as I did, this to be an informative and useful book. Bravo to Harkness for writing something that is very close to home and outside his comfort zone.
Even if you didn’t have a label, some kids found it really difficult to fit in with the majority of pupils. You either were lonely, or if lucky, you might find a small niche group that has similar interests. I was one of those pupils, and Joe Harkness was another. Joe has been diagnosed, and that has helped him come to terms with the way he is. I haven’t gone down that rout,e and at the moment, I am not considering following up on this. In those days, you’d be considered odd. Nowadays, in this partially enlightened time, you can get a diagnosis that is covered by the broad description of neurodivergent.
This book is Harkness’s journey into nature with his and other people’s neurodiversity. He conducted lots of interviews with people who work in all sorts of roles in nature and the conservation world. A lot were conducted face to face, but time and other circumstances meant that some took place online or by other methods. A lot were happy to share their names, details of where they worked, and any specific diagnosis, and some chose to remain anonymous. The conversations are about how they cope with life, work, the universe and moths…
There is almost no research into the effects that nature has on those with neurodiversity diagnoses. But where there have been studies, most concentrate on younger people. That is understandable, but it does miss swathes of people out. The studies showed that neurodivergent young people could concentrate much better when in a woodland setting when compared to an urban setting.
The natural world is seen as a non-judgmental space; it doesn’t tell people off, and it forgives. A balm for neurodivergent individuals. For them, being in nature is stimulating, but not excessively so. ADHD and autistic people tend to explore rather than exploit an environment, and it is a reminder of how indigenous people treat the landscape around them.
He considers if working in the conservation sector is good for neurodivergent people. Jobs in the UK are either government or NGO (RSPB and so on), and these are wide-ranging and varied. These roles can be especially suited to autistic people, the daily routines and rituals can remain the same, but the day varies because the location is different, the wildlife they observe changes, different weather and seasonal variations. The conservation sector is inherently caring; they are trying their best to look after the planet after all. There is nominally a chain of command, but this is often circumvented as the person with the best ideas and experience often takes the lead.
I thought that the Out Of The Box chapter was really interesting. He is looking at the theory that ADHD and autism are superpowers. Harkness’ initial opinion is that they aren’t. However, he talks to people who feel that their ability to hyperfocus on a task gives them a noticeable edge for certain skills, bird song identification, for example. Another individual he speaks to has dyslexia, and they feel that this gives them an ability to distil ideas that they then become meaningful and understandable to many others. Someone else has the ability to walk around a nature reserve once and have a map imprinted in their memory.
Lots of people have very niche specialist interests, some of which Harkness talks about with them. A good organisation can harness this mix of skills and by having both neurodivergent and non- neurodivergent staff will make for a stronger and more balanced team. One individual Harkness interviews, went from almost being excluded at school to creating a $50b scheme for mangrove restoration. And this is one of many stories of the successes of neurodivergent people working in conservation.
Even though things are improving for neurodivergent people, the barriers for some to gain employment in the conservation sector are sometimes set really high. It is difficult to gain entry when it feels like some of these decisions have already been taken prior to interviews. Having to undertake voluntary work in the sector only works when you have a supportive and fairly wealthy family. Should they overcome these hurdles a get the job, a starting salary of £18k is laughable but very common. So if you’re a female, neurodivergent and coloured, then it is almost impossible to be able to get a job, which hence why there are only 6% coloured people working in conservation. Less than 50% of the organisations have anything resembling an equality, diversity and inclusion policy (EDI). Link that to endemic institutionalised racism, and it isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Companies have a legal requirement to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ when employing people to ensure that all employees have a level playing field. However, the term ‘reasonable ‘ is very broad… Sadly, making a potential employer aware of your disability is a sure-fire way to not get the job. Harkness himself has had mixed responses and support from employers in the past and outlines the good and the bad. He does hear the horror stories and also writes about the organisations that are doing things really well. He notes that for some neurodivergent people, it is the interactions that they have with other people that is the problem, not the interactions that they have with nature.
Harkness looks at some of the well-known conservation organisations and their policies and, more importantly, their actions on EDI and neurodiversity. He even gets to talk to a government department about their policies. It was interesting to see that a substantial number of people who were responsible for this also have neurodivergent conditions. The better organisations use a workplace passport scheme for all employees; this makes it fair and reduces discrimination in the workplace.
Harkness also contacts a number of smaller conservation organisations to find out how they manage neurodivergent staff. About 50% of those he had contacted replied to him, and of those, they had policies and processes in place that helped neurodivergent staff to integrate and feel valued. Some of these conservation charities are tiny, only having six staff in some cases, so the office rules that bigger organisations have don’t really apply in these instances.
A friend of my wife runs a forest school, and until I read the chapter in this book, I must admit I didn’t really know a huge amount about it. The non-threatening environment works for everyone, especially the kids. He also visits a care farm that takes in kids who don’t really fit in the regular school system. If only more kids had these opportunities.
His final chapter talks about stories having a beginning, middle and end. Except life isn’t like that, especially if you’re neurodivergent or have ADHD, it is a super nova of themes, ideas, and threads to be followed. This book had come about from someone mentioning to Harkness that most people in the conservation sector were neurodivergent.
Overall, I thought this was a very interesting and informative book about how neurodivergent people can thrive in nature-centred organisations. Provided the organisation that they work for has put in place sympathetic schemes and systems for them. The thing to remember is that these systems work perfectly for ‘normal’ people too, unlike the other way around. Most of the people that Harkness has spoken to, to create this book, have had a positive experience with how they are treated, but there is the odd horror story in here! If you are or know anyone who is neurodivergent, then I think that you will find, as I did, this to be an informative and useful book. Bravo to Harkness for writing something that is very close to home and outside his comfort zone.
August 17, 2025
"We may think outside the box, but we've spent a lot of our lives inside one."
This book is an insightful investigation into how and why so many people who are neurodivergent work in the fields of conservation and the promotion of biodiversity.
This book encouraged me to understand how many useful skills people who are neurodiverse bring into this field. Neurodiversity is a fairly new and still developing term used to describe people with diagnoses of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and dysgraphia.
The author has been diagnosed with ADHD, and draws on his personal and professional experiences to highlight the creativity, skills and passion that can benefit communities, schools and workplaces when neurodiversity is welcomed and supported in all its forms.
As a Bookseller I would highly recommend this book to anyone working in nature or conservation, as well as those who have an interest in how to best support, promote and celebrate neurodivergent people. Many thanks to Bloomsbury Books for providing an advanced copy for this review.
This book is an insightful investigation into how and why so many people who are neurodivergent work in the fields of conservation and the promotion of biodiversity.
This book encouraged me to understand how many useful skills people who are neurodiverse bring into this field. Neurodiversity is a fairly new and still developing term used to describe people with diagnoses of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and dysgraphia.
The author has been diagnosed with ADHD, and draws on his personal and professional experiences to highlight the creativity, skills and passion that can benefit communities, schools and workplaces when neurodiversity is welcomed and supported in all its forms.
As a Bookseller I would highly recommend this book to anyone working in nature or conservation, as well as those who have an interest in how to best support, promote and celebrate neurodivergent people. Many thanks to Bloomsbury Books for providing an advanced copy for this review.
December 15, 2025
I was excited to read this as I thoroughly enjoyed Joe Harkness' first book 'Bird Therapy'- being neurodivergent myself I thought this would be the perfect read for me.
While the book was insightful and interesting, I wasn't expecting it to be mostly about people working within nature/environmental sector, it was quite careers heavy.
Would have loved the book to have been more of a deep dive into the mental health benefits neurodivergent people get from being in nature and how neurodivergent people who aren't lucky enough to work within the environmental sector interact with nature.
While the book was insightful and interesting, I wasn't expecting it to be mostly about people working within nature/environmental sector, it was quite careers heavy.
Would have loved the book to have been more of a deep dive into the mental health benefits neurodivergent people get from being in nature and how neurodivergent people who aren't lucky enough to work within the environmental sector interact with nature.
August 26, 2025
I really enjoyed the first 30ish% but then it went heavy into neurodiversity in jobs (involving nature) and I just wasn't expecting so much of that.
I was expecting it to focus more on the nature not jobs.
While I'm glad to see certain orgs and government agencies working on making these places more inclusive its still very depressing to see how hard these jobs are to get into.
I was expecting it to focus more on the nature not jobs.
While I'm glad to see certain orgs and government agencies working on making these places more inclusive its still very depressing to see how hard these jobs are to get into.
November 9, 2025
A brilliant way to learn about neurodiversity as well as the conservation sector through stories. Beautifully written and well structured, Joe takes you on a journey of discovery and exploration through lived experience of many people interviewed. Very interesting and insighful read.
October 21, 2025
Lovely cover to this book, but for me that was the best thing! It started well enough, but then got pretty turgid. It read rather like a degree thesis. Sorry Joe it just got too technical for me.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews