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British gov't vows to give every child chance to enjoy great outdoors

Xinhua, March 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Every schoolchild in Britain is to be given the chance to visit Britain's inspiring National Parks under plans announced Wednesday by Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss.

New figures reveal that only one in 10 schoolchildren currently have access to any outdoor learning.

The new plan for National Parks will start a program of activity to safeguard the future of iconic landscapes by engaging young people throughout their education.

More than 80,000 young people from primary schools will visit National Parks, and National Parks will be added to the curriculum at secondary schools. There will also be a doubling in the number of youth volunteers at National Parks as part of the National Citizen Service.

The number of apprenticeships working in National Parks will also double by 2020.

A spokesman for Defra, the department for environment, food and rural affairs, said: "With over half of the population in England living within an hour of a National Park, the plan aims to increase the diversity of visitors from the UK, as well as promoting these world-class cultural attractions to a global audience through the campaign to drive international tourism."

Truss said she aims to build annual visitor numbers to the parks to 100 million, bringing an extra 570 million U.S.dollars to local businesses, adding to the 5.68 billion U.S.dollars already generated by National Parks.

"By instilling a love of nature in our young people and building thriving communities in every National Park, our plan will allow these unique spaces to flourish for generations to come," the official said.

Along with work already underway to give schools in Britain one million native British trees to plant in their communities, National Parks will be a key part of a new government campaign later this year to connect children with nature and the environment.

The plan also aims to harness the power of the natural environment to improve national wellbeing, after research published last month by Natural England showed taking part in nature-based activities can contribute to a reduction in anxiety, stress and depression. Endit