I am delighted to have been appointed as an Ambassador for Essex Wildlife Trust, the latest development in what has been, and is, a wild journey. I thought I would share a little more of that journey with you today.

Nature always been a passion of mine, and almost all of my childhood was spent either playing with pretend animals or feeding the nearby ducks.

Many happy hours were spent outside in all weathers exploring the garden, playing in the mud and watching the many creatures that called it home. These experiences fuelled a great respect for the world we call home And I’ll always remember the holidays of my childhood in Weybourne Forest, Norfolk. These where family affairs, with my grandparents, aunty and uncle joining me, Mum and my sister Amie. I spent much of my time in this magical woodland observing the numerous pigs, ducks, chickens and rabbits that were the owners’ much-loved pets. I used to sit on the veranda of our lodge for hours, peering into the abundance of swaying pine trees and glistening, needle-laden branches for a glimpse of the elusive red squirrel. This often led to disappointment, but it never deterred me from doing the same the following morning. The buzz from the occasional sighting set my soul on fire.

Education was always a tough experience for me, with many people judging me because of my lack of social skills or inability to ‘fit in’, nobody ever bothered to say hello or smile at me. My obsession with wildlife quickly became my escape from the bad days, and my visits to the zoo or local nature reserves each weekend would be the highlight of my week — when I walked through the gates my anxiety disappeared, like the flick of a switch.

My obsession with nature and wildlife continued to grow, and this ultimately led to me picking up my mums compact Lumix camera, which was no bigger than my hand at the time, and I set about trying to photograph the animals that I loved spending my time with. I kept visiting the zoo every weekend, or more often if I could, and kept practising with my camera — it was the perfect distraction from the challenges I faced living with autism, and being surrounded by nature was incredibly healing.

All these years later, having recently turned 25, I am still as obsessed with the natural world and its wildlife as I was at four years old, and I now know that I have autism to thank for that, because autism brings with it obsessions. I am extremely lucky to do what I do, I want to use the platform I have to change the world for others living with autism. I want to leave you with this thought — be kind to one another, say hello, smile and follow your passions.

Alfie Bowen

Essex Wildlife Trust Ambassador

See Alfie's work