THE SCHOOL OF NATURE

BY ALICE MCDOUGALL (RSPB Volunteer)

It is perhaps no surprise that studies into the impact of bird watching and nature-based activities on children reveal many far-reaching benefits.

Birdwatching can increase skills such as critical thinking, observation, listening and memory, as well as developing patience and focus. And there are many directions an interest in the natural world may take a child: It is a haven for those who like categorising, making lists or learning scientific names; for creativity there is sketching or writing their own field guides; for those who like discovering, the innate and complex intelligences which permeate the natural world are immense.

Birds and mammals are imbued into our myths, folklore, literature and art, shaping our culture and understanding of the world. It connects children with the land and its politics. Studies have also shown that children who engage with supervised activities in nature have an increased appreciation of the need to protect animals, plants and habitats. They also developed a greater concern for other environmental issues such as energy saving and recycling. It’s fair to say we need children to get involved with nature for the sake of our planet, and of course this is where great passions are born – how many students of conservation, zoology, ecology or environmental science found their interest as a child?

Children who spend time in nature are also likely to be more active – which brings the undisputed benefits of boosted energy, reduced stress and better emotional wellbeing. And of course, adopting an active lifestyle at a young age has a huge impact on lifelong health and happiness.

Dip into the weird and wonderful underwater world on one of the RSPB’s pond-dipping sessions and find out about the lives of the strange creatures we rarely see.

As the summer holidays are nearly upon us, why not bring the children in your life to some of the activities at Pagham Harbour such as pond dipping, discovering our resident reptiles and amphibians, learning about our migratory birds and incredible raptors or enjoying our beautiful butterflies and busy, buzzy bees.

Help your children discover nature this summer by booking on one of the RSPB’s events for families and children – visit our website for more information https://events.rspb.org.uk/ paghamharbour or call 01243 641508.

Become an RSPB Volunteer!

It’s not just your children who can benefit from time spent in nature – you can, too! There’s no better way to improve your physical and mental wellbeing than joining the RSPB as a volunteer. We need friendly volunteers to help our visitors and protect the reserves’ wildlife. You’ll meet wonderful people and work with a great team of friendly staff and volunteers, and you’ll have fun! So why not get in touch? You’ll be doing nature – and yourself – a lot of good! To find out more about RSPB volunteering opportunities at RSPB Pagham Harbour & Medmerry reserves, get in touch with Rob Yarham, RSPB Volunteer Coordinator, at rob.yarham@rspb.org.uk or call 01243 641508.

Please mention FELPHAM IN FOCUS when responding to adverts