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A father and daughter hanging a bird box in a tree.

A father and daughter hanging a bird box in a tree (credit: Evie and Tom photography)

Children and Nature Fund

Our Children and Nature Fund supports our ongoing programme of work to create more opportunities for Norfolk’s children and young people to connect with nature.

Every donation helps us to work with more schools, community groups, and young people on our reserves to ensure every child and young person in Norfolk can develop a love of nature, enjoy the benefits it brings, and grow up wanting to protect it. Donate below to inspire a love of nature in the next generation.

Two young girls wearing coats walk hand in hand through a bluebell field

Bluebells Wildlife Watch (credit: WildNet - Tom Marshall)

Empower the next generation of nature lovers

Will you help us take more young people on a lifelong journey into nature?
£

Nurturing a love of Norfolk’s nature 

From those first memorable mini-beast hunts to offering practical experiences which become a catalyst for a career in nature conservation – we want to connect more children and young people with nature. We do this by creating wilder spaces where they live, learn and play, and by developing new, exciting opportunities to inspire the next generation to enjoy and care for wildlife. 

With your support, we could: 

  • Work with a wider network of schools and community groups so that more children and young people can experience nature in their everyday spaces. 

  • Create new opportunities for children, young people and families from all backgrounds to enjoy time in nature. 

  • Provide the inspiration, skills and resources young people need to become future nature champions through schemes like Wilder Wardens.  

  • Ensure that young people’s voices are heard so that they can make a positive impact on Norfolk’s wildlife.

A group of young wilder wardens posing with their hibernaculum

Hickling, Wilder Wardens - Hibernaculum (credit: NWT)

A young man in a green fleece holds a baby tawny owl

A Wilder Warden holding an owlet (credit: NWT)

A group of young people sit in a boat on a sunny day

Wilder Wardens boat trip (credit: NWT)

A group of young people from behind, as they walk down a path and cut back reeds on each side

Wilder Wardens cutting back reeds (credit: NWT)

Recent studies by Natural England found: 

  • 80% of children agreed that being in nature made them very happy. 
  • 83% of children would like to do more to protect the environment. 
  • 85% of children spent time outdoors every or most days at school. 
  • 23% had done other activities or lessons outside that weren’t PE. 

Connecting children and wildlife 

In 2016, NWT Vice President John Snape set up our Children and Nature Fund with a focus on projects that enabled children to learn about and experience the natural world.  

With donations from individuals, businesses and trusts, the fund has helped to deliver projects that connect children of all ages with wildlife and wild spaces through education, activities and inspiration. This has included working with the Food Bank to provide nature activities as part of Food and Fun in the School Holidays (FISH), and our flagship project, a Sure Start with Nature which offered indoor and outdoor nature-focused activities at Sure Start Children’s Centres in Great Yarmouth, Thetford, and Corpusty. 

Our vision is that locality, cost, access to transport, mobility, or ethnicity should never be a barrier to accessing green spaces and that all children and young people, regardless of background, can experience nature. 

With your support we can grow our impact and create even more opportunities for Norfolk’s children and young people, to inspire a love of nature in the next generation. 

Thank you for your support!