Over 2000 discoveries made through the Hidden Nature Challenge!

On 4 October, children and young people took part in a Hidden Nature Challenge to celebrate the launch of the National Education Nature Park. In just 48 hours, over 2000 discoveries of hidden nature were identified on nursery, school, and college sites across England!  
Map displaying Hidden Nature Challenge discoveries
An online map displays all of the hidden nature discoveries

Using prompts ranging from finding the smallest sign of nature to a repeating pattern in nature, pupils got to know their learning sites better by revealing the hidden nature that’s all around, but that might not always be seen. 

The activity was designed to give a taste of what the Nature Park is all about. Students were able to connect to nature and start to develop green skills such as identification and communication. They uploaded their findings to an online map, which displayed all of the hidden nature discoveries being revealed across the country on this day. 

Tarmac playground, small green bug and a small black spider
Responses to 'a nature free zone' in Aylesbury, 'something new to me' in Berwick-upon-Tweed and 'a small sign of nature' in Sheffield

 

This is much like how the collective difference education settings are making for nature through the National Education Nature Park will be visualised. Over the coming months and years, as young people lead the way in enhancing their sites for nature through interventions such as building rain gardens and planting wildflower meadows, every small action taken for nature will come together on an online map. It will show the positive impact that can be had on nature when we all work together.

The Hidden Nature Challenge is a great activity to do at the very start of your National Education Nature Park journey, as you undertake the first step in the Nature Park process of getting to know your site.