Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to help more children access and understand nature.

The Government’s ambition is to connect more children with nature. We have supported a number of initiatives for children to access and better understand the environment. Our aim is to not only give all children the chance to experience the natural world, but also to understand it, and respond to it. For example:

Our Eight Point Plan for National Parks will:

• Double the number of apprenticeships in National Park Authorities by 2020;
• Provide a new package of teaching materials for schools based on National Parks;
• Engage directly with more than 60,000 young people a year through schools visits by 2017/18.

Defra has also worked closely with its delivery bodies and partners on a Natural Connections Pilot Project that supported schools, not only to connect children with nature through outdoor learning, but also to make sure schools are able to connect outdoor learning to their curriculum.

We are also helping schools plant a million trees in their communities, so children can see first-hand the power of nature.