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Short Abstract

We present the National Education Nature Park project, where we imagine all schools in England as one big connected ‘Nature Park’. We showcase how young people are transforming their educational sites into outdoor laboratories, carrying out authentic research and taking nature recovery action.

Abstract

The National Education Nature Park project is a government-back initiative led by the Natural History Museum London that aims to embed nature-based learning in the curriculum, and empower children and young people in all educational sites in England to take evidence-based action to improve their site for people and wildlife.

Here we imagine all educational sites across the country as one big connected ‘Nature Park’ - spaces that prioritise the natural environment alongside the practical needs of young people. In taking part, teachers are putting nature and climate education at the heart of their lessons while young people are developing green skills, taking evidence-based action and transforming their educational sites to improve biodiversity.

Children and young people are carrying out authentic scientific research in collaboration with Museum scientists, by exploring their grounds, recording wildlife, mapping the habitats on their sites and making habitat enhancements to demonstrate a biodiversity gain. To date, more than 1 in 4 primary and secondary schools in England are taking part and have mapped an area more than 13 million square metres of habitat across the education estate i.e. an area bigger than the size of 10,000 Olympic swimming pools.

We will pitch the vision of the Nature Park project and showcase inspiring example stories from individual schools.