Toy firm foxed by young people’s ignorance of the natural world
KNOWLEDGE about nature is not being handed down the generations and has fallen to alarmingly low levels, a new study has found.
The Uk-wide survey of parents and children also showed Scots are even more clueless about the country’s commonest wildlife and plants than their southern counterparts.
The poll revealed fewer than half of Scottish parents could correctly identify an oak leaf, with 11 per cent believing it came from a fir tree and seven per cent from a palm.
However, the poll showed knowledge improved with age, with two thirds of all over-51s able to recognise the leaf.
Meanwhile, a quarter of Scots children questioned mistakenly thought a male rabbit is known as a jack – though this may be less surprising given that a third said they only get the chance to enjoy nature a few times a year.
The national figures were not much better, with just over half of adults aged 20 to 30 correctly naming a male rabbit as a buck – a fact known by 92 per cent of over-51s. And only 60 per cent of younger parents were aware a female fox is called a vixen, with one in six dubbing it a sow.
More worryingly, one in seven of the youngest adults suggested that the best way to at “clearly, tract bees and butterflies to their gardens is to display pictures of the insects outside. In contrast, nearly all of the oldest age group knew planting native flowers is the correct answer.
The research was carried out for Sylvanian Families, a toymaker that produces a range of miniature characters based on woodland creatures.
“The results reveal a worrying trend,” said the firm’s marketing manager, Sally Carnall.
nature is something adults must know about, and some of the ignorance displayed carrying out this research was staggering and worrying.
“Some of this confusion would be stamped out if people spent more time outside with their children, teaching them about animals and plant life.
“Playing outside as a family also has emotional and social benefits, as well as encouraging curiosity about the world.”