Are children in tune with the Nature Pyramid?
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Date posted: 13/10/2020
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Time to read: 3 Minutes
Are children in tune with the Nature Pyramid?
Jonathan Dean, Education Officer at the South Downs National Parks explains why making connections with “big” landscapes is an important part of our relationship with nature.
The Nature Pyramid is a concept developed by Tanya Denckla Cobb at the University of Virginia, it challenges us to think about the different quantities of nature we can experience and how much is needed to bring about a healthy life. We share an innate attraction to all things living and of this world. It’s why we can spend untold time gazing silently up at trees, become mesmerised by the buzz of a bee, and find calm in the stream gurgling over our feet. Our need for nature is sometimes called biophilia. Giving children the time to play, problem-solve and learn in green space is a critical part of development.
Denckla Cobb’s Nature Pyramid recognises the need for a range of interaction with nature, different scales at different frequencies. The bottom layer on the pyramid provides the foundation for a child’s relationship with nature, small-scale nature that is regularly visited. For many children they will get their daily dose almost on their doorstep, as they walk to school under street trees, at lunch amongst the playground flower beds, or playing in the park after-school. At the top of the pyramid, the visits become less frequent but the landscapes become more wild, with less urban intrusion and more adventure.
National Parks in the UK sit somewhere in the middle of the pyramid. They are living, working landscapes, not entirely free of urban intrusion, but with hidden gems and expansive views where you can feel many miles away from the drone of our towns and cities. They are part of the fabric our landscape and provide a huge and important range of learning opportunities linked to the curriculum and to the broader development of young people.
So how much time should children be spending in our National Parks?
Not quite a daily dose, but more often than once in a lifetime. We believe all children, at the very least, should visit a National Park during their time at primary school, enjoy a residential stay during their teenage years and have the opportunity to volunteer or undertake work experience in a National Park as they become young adults.
All of our Parks have experts who can support you and your class or group to find the perfect experience for a day trip, find the best spots for a few days of adventure, or find businesses and organisations that will give a young person some practical, hands-on experience of living and working in the landscape.
We are here to make sure that young people get their nature fix. Get in touch with your nearest National Park Learning Team to find out what’s on offer.
They may look like windmills, but in The Broads National Park, they are actually windpumps.
Rather than grinding flour, they were built to pump water from the marshes, helping to drain the land for agriculture and grazing.
Today, these distinctive structures are part of what makes the Broads landscape so recognisable.
And while this is a story from the Broads, it’s one that can be found across all 15 of our National Parks - landscapes shaped by people finding ways to adapt to live and work within their landscape. Something which still remains the case today.
Did you know that one of these mills is said to be haunted? Comment down below which one you think it is 👇
In photograph order:
📍1. St Benets Mill
📍2. Horsey Mill
📍3. Turf Fen Mill
📍4. Thurne Mill
📍5. Bograve Mill
#NorfolkBroads #NationalPark #Windpumps
✨🌙 Look up!
With a partial solar eclipse taking place tonight across the UK, we’re reminded about how important it is for our dark skies to be protected. Our National Parks are home to some of the best places in the UK to enjoy them, due to low levels of light pollution.
These incredible photos capture another recent celestial phenomenon that has been on display for stargazers and is peaking tonight - the Perseid meteor shower.
The sightings were captured in @northyorkmoors - home to one of the UK’s largest areas of protected dark sky.
🌟Tag us in your eclipse photos across our National Parks. Just be sure to follow safe viewing and photography guidance while you snap!
📷 1. Perseid meteor shower at Skelton Tower by Richard Horsman.
📷 2. Milky Way and Perseid meteor shower at Sutton Bank by Russ Norman.
📍North York Moors National Park #DarkSkies #SolarEclipse #Perseid #MeteorShower
Just goats being goats. 🐐
These incredible animals call the Valley of Rocks in @exmoornp home - scaling walls and cliffs, grazing on the rich meadows and, occasionally, blocking the roads!
They’re a wonderful reminder of why our National Parks are so important, providing a home for such a diverse range of wildlife.
Have you ever spotted one?
📷 Exmoor National Park
#ValleyOfRocks #Exmoor #Goats #NationalPark
Look out for us at the cinema. 🎬🌳
Our latest Wild Spaces episode, screening before selected films, takes you to Northumberland National Park. Their team, alongside farmers, landowners and volunteers, is working together to create healthier, more resilient landscapes through woodland creation and hedgerow planting.
It’s a story of partnership, long-term thinking, and the small actions that can have a lasting impact.
Find out more about the project and watch the episode via the link in our bio. 🔗
@northumberlandnationalpark
#WildSpaces #Northumberland #TreePlanting
💭You might have heard of peatland, but what exactly is it and why does it matter so much?
Peatlands are our natural climate allies. They store vast amounts of carbon, support rare wildlife, improve water quality, reduce flood risk and preserve thousands of years of archaeological and cultural history.
Some of the UK`s most important peatlands are found within our National Parks, making them critical places for tackling the climate and nature crises.
Across the UK`s National Parks, peatland restoration projects are helping damaged peatlands recover, benefiting both nature and people.
📍Dartmoor National Park
#NationalParks #Peatlands #NatureRecovery
Our National Parks tell the stories of the people and places that came before us.
A new Joint Statement on the Historic Environment in the National Parks of England, Scotland and Wales has launched.
Bringing together the 15 National Parks and heritage partners, the statement sets out a shared commitment to protecting the historic places and features that help shape our landscapes.
From ancient monuments and archaeological sites to historic buildings and traces of past generations, our National Parks are home to thousands of years of history.
Together, we’re working to care for these special places so their stories can continue to be discovered, valued and enjoyed for generations to come.
Read the full statement via the link in our bio 🔗
#NationalParks #UKHistory #Heritage
Hello, August. 💚
Some habits we’re holding on to this month, for our National Parks and for ourselves.
Little changes can have a lasting impact when it comes to caring for our 15 special places.
What will you be taking into August?
#UKNationalParks #UKOutdoors
Take a moment to pause in this ancient woodland 🌿
Even a small moment in nature can help us to feel calmer, more connected and refreshed.
For centuries, National Parks across the country have given people the space to reconnect with the natural world. Moments like this are why these places matter, and why we must continue to protect them.
📍This beautiful footage was captured in @exmoornp.
#Exmoor #UKWoodland #NationalParksUK
