Learn More Outdoors

Beechlawn Special School learning outdoors

Beechlawn Special School learning outdoors

Campaign

Learn More Outdoors

About the #LearnMoreOutdoors campaign

To mark World Wildlife Day on Wednesday 03 March, Ulster Wildlife and its Youth Advocates have launched the #LearnMoreOutdoors campaign, with an aim to encourage teachers to take their lessons outside of the traditional classroom and to spend more time learning in and about nature, especially after schools return post-pandemic.

When young people in the 31 ‘Our Bright Future’ projects across the UK were asked; ‘If you could change one thing for you and the environment, what would this be?’, the number one ask was that they should have: more time spent learning in and about nature.

In 2020, it was widely reported that people were connecting with the outdoors and nature more than ever. We are keen to see that our connections with nature continues and is not lost in the rush to recover lost academic progress as schools return.

Benefits of learning outdoors

We acknowledge that lost classroom time is a concern for many parents, teachers and indeed students. We also acknowledge that some pupils have been disadvantaged by the experienced periods of distance learning. However, we are keen to stress the positive and transformative impact that opportunities to learn in and about nature could play as we progress out of the pandemic.

Evidence shows the benefits of outdoor learning include (but are not limited to): improved health and wellbeing, decreased stress levels, has a positive impact on behaviour and increases care for the environment. It is also particularly important in the current climate as outdoor learning is an ideal setting for enhanced ventilation.

Watch the #LearnMoreOutdoors videos

To promote the positive and transformative impact that learning outdoors can have as we progress out of the pandemic, the Ulster Wildlife Youth Advocates have created a series of videos highlighting the benefits of outdoor learning, methods to overcome commonly perceived barriers and advice for subject-specific curriculum integration.

At Ulster Wildlife, one of our goals is to ‘inspire people to champion wildlife and to value nature’. We have a long history of helping children and young people learn outdoors and know how positive this experience is. Many of the children and young people we work with tell us they would love to get the opportunity to learn outdoors more often.

Share your outdoor learning story

As part of our work in schools and youth settings we see some wonderful and inspiring outdoor teaching. We know many more teachers have a real desire to embrace outdoor learning but may be uncertain on how to do it. If your pupils already #LearnMoreOutdoors we would love to share your story and inspire others. 

Further information

If you are interested in someone from Ulster Wildlife talking to you about making the best use of your outdoor space please contact us at dawn.patterson@ulsterwildlife.org or simply complete the interest form below.