Restoring Children's Bond with Nature: A School-Based Approach Proposed by Roger Morgan-Grenville
In an era where the future of life on Earth hinges on our understanding and appreciation of the natural world, educational institutions are taking strides to promote nature education and nurture nature literacy.
Several effective strategies are emerging, based on current academic program practices and initiatives. For instance, schools like the University of Kansas Environmental Studies Program and the University of Michigan integrate natural sciences, policy-making, and social sciences, providing students with tools to investigate environmental phenomena such as soil sampling and freshwater ecology. This interdisciplinary approach encourages broad understanding and appreciation of nature in multiple contexts.
Hands-on, field-based learning is another key component. Programs at the University of Iowa and KU emphasize field trips, research opportunities, and internships that take students out of the classroom and into labs and natural settings. Experiential learning increases engagement and deepens nature literacy.
Community and collaborative initiatives also play a significant role. Events like KU’s Worldwide Climate Education Week and collaborations on museum exhibits, such as “Ripples: Water, Community, and You”, promote community connection to environmental history and contemporary issues, fostering a sense of stewardship and shared responsibility.
Incorporating policy and societal perspectives is equally important. Teaching students about environmental policy, negotiation, and social dimensions, as done in U-M’s ecosystem science program, helps prepare them as future leaders who can navigate complex human-nature relationships critically and thoughtfully.
Fostering inclusive programs is another crucial aspect. Offering diverse majors, tracks, and courses that reflect both natural science rigor and human-centered sustainability perspectives allows students of varying interests and backgrounds to connect with nature education meaningfully.
In Britain, the decline in children's connection with nature is alarming. Less than 10% of local children play in wild places anymore, and their roaming radius has dropped by 90%. This underscores the importance of nature education for fostering a new generation of nature-literate young people.
Local wildlife trusts and educational grant-giving bodies can play a vital role in teaching teachers and funding student field trips. Politicians express a desire for this course, but its success depends on the support of senior civil servants. The unstoppable rise of smartphones has mirrored an equally unstoppable decline in natural curiosity and wonder among children.
A reset is needed in society's approach to exposing children to the natural world and fostering skills like curiosity, observation, learning, and wonder. At the university level, there is a need for a restoration effort in declining specialist courses like botany, ornithology, and entomology. Companies are likely to support the idea of Nature having a metaphorical seat on the board, given the importance of addressing climate change.
Publicly acknowledging the central right of exposure to the natural world in a child's life should start at Key Stage 1 and 2 with the extension of the Forest School scheme and the reinstatement of plant-growing areas in primary schools. School farm trips can spark a lifetime's inspiration for children but require funding.
Young naturalists like Kabir Kaul find embracing their passion for Nature to be a lonely experience in school. The disappearance of certain wildlife species, like the curlew and natterjack toads, could occur if people do not become more aware and involved in their conservation.
The undiluted Natural History GCSE has been approved by the Labour Government, but it runs the risk of being watered down, lost between geography and biology, based on words rather than observation, and starved of the money needed to get students out into the natural world regularly.
Roger Morgan-Grenville, a founder member of Curlew Action and the author of The Restless Coast, emphasizes the importance of nature education. He is a former soldier, writer, and wildlife guide who led the first expedition to retrace Shackleton's escape across South Georgia.
Graduates from these courses will become practitioners who work to enrich natural heritage. The article originally appeared in the July 23 issue of the platform.
- The integration of environmental-science, policy-making, and social sciences in academic programs, such as the University of Kansas Environmental Studies Program and the University of Michigan, equips students with the tools to investigate various aspects of nature and promotes a deep understanding of the natural world.
- In both the UK and US, fostering a connection with nature in children through programs like Forest Schools, school farm trips, and the teaching of natural history is essential to prepare the next generation with the skills necessary for the conservation of endangered species and the appreciation of the natural world in their personal lifestyle.
