Make more time to explore countryside, families urged
The great outdoors beckons, even during the dark days of winter. But as Martin Hesp reports, families are spending less time in the countryside
When was the last time your family enjoyed time together in the great outdoors? Have you built a tree-house or a woodland swing, or even played Poohsticks or skimmed stones in the river, with your children or grandchildren recently?
Perhaps not. Even here in the rural South West, families are increasingly failing to get out into nature according to a new report commissioned by the Woodland Trust and the lifestyle brand Joules. And it’s a story of irreversible regret – because nearly half of parents wish their families spent more time together in the great outdoors, with two-thirds (64%) of parents saying this is because they simply struggle to find the time.
In response, Joules has launched the Let’s Explore campaign in partnership with the Woodland Trust to encourage families to get outside and enjoy the great British outdoors – and the initiative names woodlands in the Westcountry as being ideal venues.
One such forest is Fingle Woods located on the northern fringes of Dartmoor. These woods are jointly owned by the Woodland Trust and the National Trust in the first venture of its kind between the two organisations – and the steep forests play host to a variety of wildlife including spotted flycatchers and hazel dormice. The new study investigated the changing relationship between families and the great outdoors. Around 90% of parents surveyed said their kids spend less time playing outside than they did when they were children. In addition 41% of parents said they have never played conkers with their children before, more than a third (37%) have never built a woodland den and over a quarter (26%) have never played nature detectives and identified different trees with their kids. A third (32%) said their children preferred to watch TV or play computer games. Almost half of parents believe that technology and “screen time” are impacting our connection with nature as a nation. And 49% said Brits spend too much time on their phones to appreciate the outdoor world, and more than a third (39%) blamed gaming fads for children being stuck indoors.
‘Almost half of parents believe that technology and ‘screen time’ affect out connection with nature’
Woodland Trust survey