Nature detectives website celebrates major milestone
Children may be familiar with Facebook and know how to Twitter, but are they losing touch with the simple pleasures of mud, bugs and twigs?
Over two million children – nearly one fifth of the UK child population - have now visited the Woodland Trust’s nature detectives website since its launch five years ago, going against the increasing trend of the child portrayed sitting in front of the TV or games console.
Side effects of young people becoming disconnected from the reality of nature and experiencing wildlife have been said to include a lack of free thinking, environmental awareness and even self confidence. Therefore the importance of regular contact with nature cannot be underestimated.
Shaun Nixon from the Woodland Trust’s learning team explains: “Although common knowledge would suggest children are spending less time in the natural world the massive demand for our free materials proves that children still have the desire to learn about what’s around them, we just have to provide that spark.”
Further evidence suggests that engaging children at a young age has been proven to make a longer lasting impression than at any other time in their lives. The nature detectives website does so with a range of resources to encourage youngsters to learn about trees and nature; children can download them and head outside to identify fungi, bugs and trees amongst other things.
Not only are trees vital in helping to regulate the climate by reducing air pollution, helping to prevent flooding and cooling our streets, but they are home to thousands of wildlife species too.
The Woodland Trust’s aims include both increasing peoples’ understanding of woods and also creating new native woodland. By reaching young children through the nature detectives website the Trust is inspiring a whole generation of children to instinctively take responsibility for trees, woodland and wildlife on their doorstep and continue to buck the trend.
Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, email: media@woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters.
The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.
With two million visits, two million downloads, 50,000 children, their families and teachers taking part in the weekly nature detectives activities and 26,000 nature detectives CLUB members the website continues to go from strength to strength, playing a part in educating the population in the importance of trees and nature.
The nature detectives CLUB is packed full with even more – get stickers, a giant wall chart, seasonal activity packs stuffed with ideas, plus new nature challenges every single week to get kids outside! Perfect for the inquisitive young members of your family, plus schools and groups can join in too. Dig in, www.naturedetectives.org.uk/club