The Wildlife Trusts launch new initiative to make 'Every Child Wild'
Evidence has been growing for a number of years pointing to the health and social
benefits to be derived from contact with the natural world for all ages1. However,
results from a new YouGov poll, commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts, highlight the
discrepancy between what parents think is best for children and what they actually
experience.
Our new poll shows that:
- 91% of parents of children aged 18 and under think that having access to
nature and wildlife is important for children, yet
- 78% of parents are concerned that children don't spend enough time interacting
with nature and wildlife
Sir David Attenborough, President Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts, said: "We will
be physically, mentally and spiritually impoverished if our children are deprived of
contact with the natural world. Contact with nature should not be the preserve of
the privileged. It is critical to the personal development of our children."
However, a generation of children is growing up disconnected from nature, with just
one in ten ever playing in wild places2. The Wildlife Trusts reach around half a
million children each year, many with outdoor experiences through their school, but
are concerned that many more children are not getting the chance to get close to
wildlife.
The poll also reveals:
- 57% of parents said their children spend a little less or a lot less time
outdoors than they did - many children are missing out on contact with the natural
world:
- Less than half (46%) of children aged 8-15 had looked for wild flowers
with their parent/ guardian or grandparent with even fewer (42%) listening for
birdsong together
- 71% of children have never seen a lizard in the wild in the UK, more than
half (53%) have never seen a flock of starlings and more than a third (37%) have
never seen a hedgehog
The Wildlife Trusts work with schools and teachers who are passionate about using
the outdoors but this poll shows wildlife experiences are limited in schools:
- Although more than half of the children polled (56%) have learned about
wildlife in the classroom in the last six months, under a quarter (24%) said their
school has an indoor nature display area, like a nature table, and
- Only 50% of children said their school had an outdoor nature area and less
than half (46%) of the children said they had been to a place in the wild with
their school to learn about wildlife in the past year
Lucy McRobert, The Wildlife Trusts' Nature Matters campaign manager, said: "We know
that first-hand contact with nature is good for children. It makes them happier,
healthier and more creative and for some it can have a life-changing impact. But
there's a gap between what society intuitively knows is best for children and what
they're actually getting. The results of our poll illustrate that some children are
missing out on the contact with nature their parents and grandparents are likely to
have known. This is partly due to the changes in our everyday lives and partly due
to diminishing opportunities: wild places are vanishing and wild animals such as
starlings and hedgehogs have declined massively over the past 50 years.
"Parents clearly think it is important for children to have outdoor experiences and
we need to help schools make the most of opportunities for them to discover nature.
There are some creative teachers using wildlife and wild places to engage and
enthuse pupils but we need to help nature become a more central part of school life,
enabling more children to have special wildlife moments close to home."
More encouragingly, 95% of the children polled have visited a park with their
parent/guardian or grandparent, and many (82%) had held a ladybird, highlighting the
importance of using urban environments like parks and gardens as places where
children can discover and experience wildlife.
In a bid to ensure every child in the UK has an opportunity to enjoy regular contact
with nature, over the next year
The Wildlife Trusts are inviting individuals,
parents, teachers, schools and organisations to share their ideas on what needs to
happen to put the wild back into childhood and make 'every child wild' as part of a
new initiative called Every Child Wild (see
www.wildlifetrusts.org/everychildwild).
It offers top practical tips for successful family adventures, inspiration from
young people with a passion for nature and much more, including:
- a new Every Wild Child report, with insights gathered from a poll asking
parents and children about wild experiences during childhood
- The Art of Getting Children outdoors: A Practical Guide to Family Adventures,
offering practical ideas for parents to inspire children to get outdoors, by Jen
and Sim Benson from A Wild Year
- a podcast with five young people, aged 10-16, discussing what it's like
growing up with a passion for nature
- daily blogs on The Wildlife Trusts' website throughout November from
well-known wildlife champions, children, parents, teachers and others on ideas for
reconnecting children and nature
- Short surveys for teachers and parents (and anyone else) to share ideas for
reconnecting children with nature at home and at school. The Wildlife Trusts are
also hoping to gather more information about wild experiences during childhood
from people of all ages. See
www.wildlifetrusts.org/everychildwild
In the South West, Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) has noticed a growing demand for its
expertise in providing a connection between children and wildlife. DWT's Paul Martin
says: "We're trying to lead the way in outdoor learning and early nature experiences
through our Wildlife Watch groups, school outreach work, volunteering opportunities,
and the huge number of wild events that we offer every year. We hope Every Child
Wild will get people talking and sharing ideas about how we can all help to put the
wild back in childhood. We need to empower families, teachers and schools to ensure
children have access to nature and to engage with it on a regular basis. Together,
we are all nurturing the next generation of naturalists, animal-lovers,
birdwatchers, explorers, scientists, campaigners and politicians to try and slow the
decline of nature."
Sir David Attenborough adds: "The Wildlife Trusts are giving countless people the
chance to experience wildlife in their everyday lives. It is moving to see the
delight on the face of a six year old looking at a pond skater or caddis fly larva."
Billy Stockwell is a 16 year old from Nottingham. He features in a new podcast in
which five young people discuss what it's like growing up with a passion for nature.
Billy says: "There's a physical side of nature, like trees and ponds and fields,
but then there's the symbolic side of nature, which makes you realise that some
things just aren't as important as you thought they were. The other day I dropped
my phone. I was so annoyed but then spending time in nature, which has been around
for millions of years, helped me to understand that I worried about the little
things far too much. We need to learn when to turn the computer off and actually go
outside and have experiences."
Experience nature with your Wildlife Trust and take your child(ren) to one of our
events, nature reserves, Wildlife Watch groups or join as a family.
Join in the
discussion with Every Child Wild and share your ideas and inspiration for
reconnecting children with nature using #EveryChildWild on twitter, facebook and
instagram.
Wildlife Watch Autumn - Photo copyright Tom Marshall (All rights reserved)
