How do you teach young children to value and protect nature?
This is something many teachers and parents have been struggling with, but it has never been more important for the citizens of the future as we face an uncertain climate future.
The University of Oxford’s Wytham Woods and the Hill End Centre are have joined forces to meet this urgent need by developing a new nature-based education programme for primary ages.
These exciting hands-on activities and games inspire children to be curious about and value nature. By exploring beautiful woodland and grassland habitats and surveying ‘minibeasts’ and pond life, they learn about the importance of invertebrates as part of the natural ecosystem. This new programme also introduces ideas of climate change, but with a positive focus on climate action and how individuals can make a difference.
Starting with a pilot for our most local Oxfordshire Primary schools – Cumnor, Botley, Eynsham, North Hinksey and Wolvercote, this is our first joint project for the University of Oxford’s Green Estate. OGE brings together all of the University parks, farms and green assets, including key tenants such as Hill End who share a similar purpose for education and sustainability.
Hill End Centre Director Lucy Crittenden said: “Hill End has been teaching children about the natural world for over 100 years, but so many teachers tell us they find this difficult. We think the expertise of Hill End and Wytham Woods working together is the perfect combination to meet these needs in an exciting and engaging way”.
The Primary schools will be also able to put this learning into action later in the year by planting a tree of their own in Bear Wood, a new planting in Wytham Woods.
We plan to offer sustainability habitat days to all schools in the next academic year – watch this space.
