As schools break up for summer and children across England swap classrooms for sandcastles and climbing trees, today we’ve launched a drive to make sure children's access to nature doesn’t end when the holidays do.
A survey of the British public this week reveals that 95% of parents believe learning outside during school time is important for children - and 90% agreed overall, whether parents or not.
More than two thirds of those we asked recalled fond memories of time spent outside during school lessons, including trips to the woods, bug hunting, and even foraging for mushrooms.
We’re calling on the government to make access to nature a right for every schoolchild and are asking every adult with their own fond memories of learning in nature to sign a petition to secure the same benefits for today’s children.
Our CEO Matthew Gould explains: “Teachers are struggling to make time for nature with all the pressures they are under. And the children who need it most – those in deprived areas with the least access at home – are less likely to get it. Access to nature has become a privilege, not a right, and that needs to change.”
“Every day at London Zoo, we see what happens when a child encounters wildlife for the first time, and it’s pure magic. We want every child to experience nature.”
The benefits of contact with nature aren't enjoyed equally.
Children from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds are far less likely to access green space, despite facing higher rates of mental health challenges.
The government's People and Nature Survey found 91% of children say nature makes them “very happy”, but a third had not been outside for lessons at all that week. And in its 2020 Access to Greenspace review, the government estimated around £2.1bn a year could be saved in health costs if everyone in England had good access to greenspace.
Matthew concludes: “ZSL is urging everyone who cares about nature and the wellbeing of our children to sign the petition - we can make sure nature isn’t a luxury, but a right for every child regardless of background.”
Your voice will help us make the case to government: that every child deserves a connection to nature, no matter where they live.