Credit: Holly Wilkinson
A study by the University of Derby found that connection to the outdoors drops sharply from age 11 and doesn’t fully recover until age 30. We know that children and young people thrive in the outdoors; that spending time outside can make a huge difference to both physical and mental wellbeing. But in this age of technology, games and phones…
How can we encourage young people to reconnect with nature?
"Connecting children to nature as young as possible, teaching them to grow their own food, and about the role pollinators play in the cycle of food production, e.g. bees pollinate x crop which provides y (favourite food) are, I feel, vitally important life skills for the next generation. Showing them that they are not apart from nature. They are part of nature.
What is potentially worth noting is that with the growing rise in dopamine dependence, partially fuelled by social media/computer games/virtual reality, lighting up their dopamine receptors with fast growing and/or their favourite fruit/veg is one way to get them invested.
If gardening/growing food were part of the national curriculum, from primary school age up to G.C.S.E level, it would have the potential to inspire and equip a whole new generation of children into a healthier future, for themselves, the planet, and quite probably the economy too."
"I think there are two key parts here:
1) I’ve found that if the parents have a love of nature, respect the countryside, enjoy being outside then this is inherently passed down to children. I work in a conservation company and enjoy the countryside, therefore I do take my children out for walks, enjoy birdwatching and animal spotting. I will also be championing the new natural history GCSE and am hopeful that this will encourage connection. Sadly without the parental aspect/interest, I don’t think it’s championed enough within the home.
2) Accessibility and awareness of what’s around. For example, my son has enjoys birds, we take part in the garden birdwatch and he can recognise birds. This information and accessibility is taken on through his life as he grows. Targeting information from the very beginning is important - talking your child out into reserves, activities for parents and young children. Our local woods runs a “tree-tots” children’s hour for toddlers to introduce them to the natural world. Another idea is to work with local schools - for assembly’s - take in some animal bones, do an animal quiz, teach kids what is around them locally that they can go and see. My son for example, really wants to go and see a kingfisher in the wild as he knows there are some spots around us. We have WI groups, we have community workshops which need speakers - all of this can prime the next generation. Volunteer days aren’t widely published, but I know there are some.
The forests near us have activity trails, and quizzes, drawing people into reserves and nature. The wildlife trust sites near us, have some of this but it’s irregular and limited. I highly appreciate that this will be a large investment, but also feel that it has to be to draw people back in. Largely being a parent, what I need from nature also includes going some where with facilities such as toilets, play space and possibly refreshments- sites with these would be favoured over those that don’t have. The parks trust in MK do a lot of community work that includes - bat walks, reserve walks, kids clubs etc."
"I put this question to my 11-year-old daughter. She suggested more visits to nature reserves for secondary school children and while there do photography projects. She’s starting year 7 next week so can’t be too specific about how nature can fit into lessons but she’s certain that it should! She also said that all schools should encourage wildlife into their grounds so students can be close to it at break and lunchtimes."
"Offer more work experience placements for secondary school students. Almost all schools do this at the end of year 10 and there are always students who need placements locally.
Offer volunteering opportunities to students working towards their Duke of Edinburgh awards. Some students will be under the age of 16 so ensure there is correct insurance in place. Students usually have to volunteer for 6-12 months depending on the certificate they are working towards for the Duke of Edinburgh award.
Ask schools if you can organise engagement days for specific year groups during term time. Liaise with Biology departments or Geography departments to see if you can offer field trips in local areas that would support curriculum requirements.
Most schools have Eco groups, you could work with them to promote local wildlife, walks or tours. Most students would be interested if you could gain their attention- maybe try TikToks of local interest points or rare species."
"The key to inspiring young people to engage with nature is exposing them to the wide variety of wildlife in an enjoyable way that engenders fascination. An important element must be making time in the school curriculum for education (such as the Natural History GCSE). However, formal study normally turns off the majority because it is seen as difficult and irrelevant.
To counter these roadblocks, any introduction to the subject must :
I believe that a gentle foundation will mean that later complexities become less daunting and will encourage students to understand and wish to experience more of the natural world. This was my thinking in relation to my local school Hampton College, Peterborough to whom I supplied a copy of a photobook of the wildlife available within walking distance (see Customer example: Our Hampton The Wildlife of Peterborough's Garden Suburb).
I wish such a resource, appropriately modified according to circumstance, could be available universally."
"Appreciation of nature and wildlife has to be taught in the educational system at the earliest moment and throughout students' educational experience.
Here in the US, it needs to start in kindergarten and continue for the entire K-12 journey. Environmentalists need to more actively influence the school curriculum toward this end. Here in California, appreciation of nature and wildlife is virtually absent from the mandatory K-12 curriculum. Sad, as this readily finds an important place in the science, reading, math, biology, geography, art coursework."
"Let children engage with nature from an early age...when I was at school many moons ago all we had was a nature table and take a hamster home in the school holidays. We can do better now with the knowledge and skills you all have.
Agree to help set up an allotment in the school grounds to encourage wild life to visit, get the children to paint ,draw build wildlife.
Ask them to count and document how much wildlife they see in their garden or around a park or open space, towns have wildlife too.
Have a dress up wildlife day invite all the children to take part with photos.
There are so many ways to engage with children, they have eager, bright minds, connect to them."
"How about getting young people out in the countryside woods ect and learing about animals and insects and off computer games...
Thing is you have to make it interesting."
"My grandsons are aged 11 and 13, and the 13 year old is already losing interest in long country walks and learning about plants, butterflies, birds and the different trees (he prefers to climb them or swish a large stick and chase his brother).
However he is still interested in Bushcraft events where he can whittle with his penknife, chop wood, tie knots and build shelters and fire lighting.
They are also both keen on the assault course type play area - crawling through tunnels, climbing over boxes and swinging on a rope across sand (representing water) and high rope activities.
There is very little in the actual playground, apart from the zip line and snake rope swing (like the old jazz), that is attractive to tweens and teens as they are designed for up to 8 year olds.
They quite like helping younger kids with pond dipping identification rather than doing it for themselves - it is cool to be respected by little children.
They have reconstructed skeletons from owl pellets.
They also enjoyed a reptile event where they were introduced to different creatures and walked around lifting the covers to see slowworms, grass snakes and adders.
Meeting and handling animals like frogs, newts, hedgehogs, spotting deer and squirrels, bat walks etc. still arouse their interest as they love all creatures (apart from spiders and wasps) but these are actually things that can enchant adults as well.
They quite enjoyed tree planting but got bored after about 5 saplings. They love fishing as long as someone else sets up the rod.
Haven't tried foraging, but I think anything to eat is of interest to teens as long as someone else cooks it. But then many are fussy or have special diets these days so it is difficult to know what they can eat."
"We have 5 granddaughters. Our youngest 2 are 14 and 11 years. We always take them for a walk in nature when we have them for a day. Their favourite places are Everdon Stubbs, Rushden Lakes and Pittsford Reservoir. ( We live in Northampton.) They always look forward to being in nature, and are constantly spotting different animals and birds. We recently took them for a holiday to Centre Parks. The highlight for them was the wildlife visiting our Lodge garden. Particularly a pretty Munks jack deer, who came every morning.
To answer your question. Simply take them out whenever you can."
"The planned OCR GCSE in Natural history will make a big difference. It should be compulsory in all schools. Most children now don't know even the basics of garden birds or small mammals.
It's taken about ten years to get this approved when it should have been a no-brainer and have been implemented immediately."
"Our daughter has been volunteering, including a traineeship for the wildlife trust, since completing her Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology degree at Plymouth University.
Now at 23 years old she has travelled from Northamptonshire to Nottingham and to the Isle of Wight and places in between for interviews.
She is still volunteering.
More money needs to be made available to employ more young people in her situation, rather than relying on volunteers.
When young children are exposed to seeing more young adults working in the countryside they might consider this type of career when in secondary education.
This opens up a new curiosity to the whole subject.
And one that older adults might encourage if they knew that their children could consider this area for future career opportunities.
Our daughter is lucky that we are able to continue to support her while she actively searches for a job.
Otherwise she could be another enthusiastic young person who loses interest in the countryside.
A second reason for interest to drop off is that senior schools don't include this subject in their curriculum.
There are lots of opportunities that could be adopted within the current curriculum to include the countryside as an interest."
"You need to start with the parents. If the parents aren’t encouraging the children to be outdoors they are highly unlikely to want to do it off their own bat."
"Schools have so little money for trips now. Government funding of coaches would be a boon."
"From personal experience I’ve tried to connect youngsters to nature / wildlife through doing various talks / displays etc to schools and community groups etc. I collect ethical taxidermy (road kill, window collisions etc) which I then get mounted by a professional taxidermist. I use my collection along with various other items (Owl boxes I’ve made from scrap wood), personal wildlife photography, discussion about litter, pollution etc coupled with hard copy photos of wildlife damaged or killed due to litter, to engage with youngsters.
One school I presented to, the teacher had asked for a member of a local litter picking group to come along and talk to the children about not dropping litter. I offered to help and took along 2-3 items of taxidermy, some hard copy photos of wildlife damaged by litter and various recyclable items.
At the end of the session the teacher told me I was their first visitor post Covid and that she had never seen 50-60 children so engaged with their subject.
She went on to say even the little quiet ones had wanted to join in the discussion! This made my day because when I was at primary school I’d have been one of those quiet children!
They learnt about littering, recycling, wildlife, species, habitats and taxidermy."
"I think we have to start by connecting with where kids are. Scouts, school, sports, after school care, Connexions bus, wherever they are, we need to contact organisers and see how we can fit some fun nature education and awareness in there.
I'd also like to see nature apprenticeships - DoE like programmes focused on nature recovery that kids can take part in, gain recognition for, and can be used in college/job applications later in life.
We need messaging that says nature is for everybody, humans are nature, there's so much that can be done to protect nature...empowering messages that value young people's contribution.
I think a broad definition of nature is needed as well. Gardening is nature. Food itself is nature. Nature is raw materials, science, art, philosophy."
"Include nature studies in the school curriculum - as it was when I was at junior school up to 1971."
