Like so many kids in North America, the UK’s children are also suffering from a nature deficiency disorder. The difference is the UK is doing something about the problem.
The Natural England Organization is determined to release one million children into the wild. A recently released Natural England’s Childhood and Nature survey found that the woodlands, countryside and parks have become out of bounds…with fewer than 10% of kids playing in these places.
The survey was produced to mark the launch of Natural England’s ‘One Million Children Outdoors’ programme, which aims to encourage more children to visit places such as nature reserves and environmentally friendly farms.
The survey found that less than a quarter (24%) of children said they visit a patch of nature near their home on a weekly basis, compared with over half of adults (53%) who visited a local nature patch weekly when they were young.
Poul Christensen, acting chair for Natural England said: “Children are being denied the fundamental sense of independence and freedom in nature that their parents enjoyed. Our research shows that contact with nature has halved in a generation, and that the overwhelming majority of children now want more opportunities to play outdoors.”
An estimated 81% of children wanted more freedom to play outdoors according to the Natural England’s Childhood and Nature survey.
“Concerns over child safety are understandable, but if children can’t get out and explore the natural world, we run the risk of raising a generation of ‘cotton wool kids’ whose experiences are defined by websites and computer games,” explains author Stephen Moss of a new family guide to British wildlife, The Bumper Book of Nature.
The Bumper Book of Nature is part of The One Million Children Outdoors programme.
Visit: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/
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