Trust enlists army of children to do battle with ‘Nature Deficit’

THE National Trust themselves might be the first to admit that a day out to one of their 350 properties isn’t going to be at the top of every child’s wish list for an exciting day out.

However, children in this part of the world are more familiar with the trust than others – 25 per cent of visitors to its 15 properties in our region are children, while the figure is 20 per cent nationally.

Do the other 75 per cent come into contact with the great outdoors by running around the garden, the park or country lanes near home? Or are they more likely to spend most of their spare time glued to the TV or a computer game?

According to the National Trust’s Natural Childhood Report, published last year as a result of research among many children and organisations working with children, more and more youngsters do conform to the ‘slumped in front of a screen’ stereotype, and this means that a generation is growing up ignorant of the natural world. The authors coined the name Nature Deficit Disorder.

Maybe our country’s spectacular success in the Olympics will fire up children to get off the sofa and do sports or other outdoor activities themselves. Unless their energies are properly channelled and parents galvanised, too, the annual ‘Wimbledon effect’ could strike, meaning enthusiasm withers within weeks.

Not all children will feel drawn to sport, but still a healthy feeling of connection with the natural world and the nurturing of a lifelong urge to explore and ask questions is desirable for all youngsters. However, the older a child gets without being regularly exposed to the outdoors the less likely they are to engage with it later, say the National Trust.

Although many of the trust’s house and parkland properties – such as Nostell Priory near Wakefield – have many acres to run about in and large adventure playgrounds or natural features like those at Brimham Rocks to enjoy while building agility and confidence, there is still a tendency among some people to think that the trust is just about large houses, paintings, furniture, and formal gardens, says Helen Clarke. The trust owns tens of thousands of acres of land including part of the North York Moors and 700 miles of coastline.

Now it is recruiting a group of 10 youngsters aged between seven and 12 to advise it on how to get more of the nation’s children outdoors.

The perfect candidates will love the outdoors and fresh air, have a wild imagination and bags of enthusiasm, and love rolling down hills.

“Although we do lots of children’s activities all year round, and especially in the schools holidays, we want to know what we can do to make our properties even more child friendly so more families will come and enjoy the outdoors,” she says. “Children can already follow nature trails, bug hunts, pond dipping and that kind of thing.

“We want the input of kids themselves about what they think – about everything from the sandwiches they like in our cafes to adventures they’d like to have.”

Those children who become advisors will receive a year’s free access to NT properties for themselves and their family, as well as access for free to activities such as canoeing and stays at National Trust cottages.

Applications for the Kids’ Council can be downloaded from www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kidscouncil. The closing date is September 7.