Opening up the countryside to more children
An initiative born out of a need to connect children from socially disadvantaged areas with nature has seen pupils based in city schools experience life on farms, many for the first time.
The initiative has seen hundreds of pupils visit the Howardian Hills National Landscape, which covers 79 square miles of the North Yorkshire countryside between the North York Moors National Park, the Yorkshire Wolds and the Vale of York.
It comes six years after the Glover Report on the future of designated landscapes in England called for more to be done to increase access to the countryside.
The review opened up a conversation about what designated landscapes should deliver for society and the environmental challenges being faced.
Key recommendations of the report included helping engage schools and communities and giving every school pupil the opportunity to spend a night under the stars in the special landscapes to help more children to connect with nature.
At the time, countryside charity CPRE called for the recommendation to be embedded in the national curriculum. In particular, the report cited children from urban areas who may have never ventured onto a farm or come face to face with nature. Now the Howardian Hills has made this a reality for nearly 350 children, from York, Sherburn and West Lutton, near Malton, as part of a scheme called Generation Green 2, funded by DEFRA.
Francesca Pert, of the Howardian Hills National Landscape, said: “This project has been about getting children outside and creating inspiring experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Visits were held at the Yorkshire Arboretum and on selected farms, which are working towards a national accreditation to host educational visits under a separate funding stream. Generation Green 2 has provided children with unique experiences and helped give farmers the confidence to explain their work to young people who are often disconnected from the countryside.”
Nationally, a report on the scheme revealed that nearly 40 per cent of youngsters taking part this year had never been to the countryside and just under 60 per cent had never spent a night there. In total over 26,000 young people participated.
The Howardian Hills worked with other organisations to deliver the initiative including LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming).
Youngsters learnt about worms and soil, river conservation, and enjoyed orienteering and open air theatre sessions. Haxby Road Primary Academy in York, along with Sherburn School and Luttons primary, were hosted by the Arboretum. Farm visits were undertaken by children from Archbishop Holgate School and Park Grove School, both in York.
Ellie Hook, manager of the Howardian Hills National Landscape, added: “This has been a wonderful project and seeing the children experience the wonder of the countryside has been uplifting. The accreditation scheme to host school visits on farms is also one of the key aspects that we are keen to build on to allow more children to experience nature.”