Embrace nature to transform children’s experience of learning

You wallow in nature and feel a sense of happiness permeating you, your breathing slows, and you feel joy and at peace.

These are a few of the vivid images used by some of the children and young people that we engage in outdoor learning activities every day across the UK, describing the effect that spending time outdoors has on them. Imagine if this was their school experience every day.

Through The Wildlife Trusts’ decades of experience, we have seen the many benefits that come from outdoor learning and contact with nature. The evidence is stronger than ever. Recent University College London research commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts revealed that children’s wellbeing increased after they had spent time connecting with nature. The children also showed an increase in pro-environmental values and demonstrated high levels of enjoyment. This echoes a four-year research project by Natural England.

Time spent outdoors and learning about nature has been proven to reduce anxiety, depression, stress and behavioural issues. Findings also highlighted the benefit to teachers, with 79 per cent reporting positive impact on their teaching practice, and 72 per cent reporting improved health and wellbeing.

In addition, according to recent research commissioned by the Scottish government, there is increasingly strong evidence that experiences in nature can boost academic learning, even in subject areas unrelated to the outdoor setting. Studies have also shown that increasing time spent outdoors reduces children’s infectious diseases (such as colds, sore throats) by up to 80 per cent.

In the last few months, nature has provided us all with immeasurable comfort. During this difficult period, the key role that nature plays in enhancing our children’s resilience has been widely recognised. Still, many young people, especially in deprived areas, currently lack regular outdoor learning opportunities.

That is why we collaborated with more than 30 youth and environmental organisations, currently working with hundreds of thousands of children and young people across the UK, to write a letter to the education select committee and ask for an inquiry into the vital role of outdoor learning in boosting children’s attainment, resilience and wellbeing.

We want the government to recognise that outdoor learning can offer solutions to the multiple challenges that children and young people are facing, by increasing motivation and re-engagement with learning – particularly for those from low socio-economic backgrounds, who have been most adversely affected during lockdown.

In addition, engendering a lifelong habit of nature engagement will help children and young people to feel mentally well, connect with the natural world, and take better care of it. If we are to address the threats we face from climate change, biodiversity loss and ill health, we need an education system that recognises this – and prepares our children for the future stewardship of our natural heritage.

We urge the government to raise the level of ambition across the UK and embed nature-based play and learning in our education system, which already successfully happens in other countries like New Zealand and Denmark.

Our passion for outdoor learning means we want to make it as easy as possible for children to connect with our beautiful natural world and so we have great resources for teachers, educators and youth workers. We welcome thousands of schoolchildren to our nature reserves and visitor centres every year. Through our largest nature engagement campaign, 30 Days Wild, we encourage everybody to do one thing outdoors, in nature, every day and have created a bespoke pack for schools and other educators, and offer plenty of ideas through our Wildlife Watch YouTube Channel.

Youth organisations have a key role to play in encouraging children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to get involved in outdoor learning. As shown by Our Bright Future, a £33m programme funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and led by The Wildlife Trusts, the youth sector and the environmental sector are developing great synergies by playing to their strengths. In future, I hope to see more of these partnerships to create bespoke opportunities for children and young people to learn, play and get their work experience in nature.

Our vision is for every child – through nursery, primary, secondary and beyond – to be able to learn in and about nature, transforming the way we educate. Teachers and youth workers can play an important role in making this happen.

FURTHER READING

• The Wildlife Trusts letter to the education select committee
• CYP Now’s Special Report on Outdoor Learning
• Natural Connections study Natural England, 2016