The Royal Parks
Connecting young people with nature
As public spaces opened up again after the Covid-19 lockdowns, we wanted to make sure young people were getting opportunities to rebuild lost learning and skills, particularly when it comes to nature and the environment. The Royal Parks charity is working with state schools from the local area in most need of extra support through their Green Futures project. A unique programme for 11 to 14 year olds and 16 and 17 year olds, Green Futures teaches about biodiversity and the climate emergency, helping young people feel more connected to green spaces and understand their value, in particular London’s Royal Parks.
In 2021, we gave an initial grant of £80,000 to fund the Green Futures project for two years and a second grant of £96,500 to help keep the project running until 2025.
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1,225 students have taken part in Green Futures in years 1 and 2, experiencing over 20,000 hours of conservation days in the park, pre- and post-park sessions and project work.
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1,140 students aged 11 to 14 each experienced 15 hours of hands-on conservation activities in the Royal Parks.
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85 students aged 16 to 17 were involved in Green Futures for an average of 30 hours each, supporting conservation days and participating in webinars.
Developing our future green leaders
Importantly, the Green Futures project is linked to the school curriculum and includes hands-on STEM learning days in the parks. There are practical citizen science lessons which teach participants about biodiversity and the climate emergency, as well as helping them develop team and leadership skills. Pupils get to meet experts in the field and learn about careers in the nature heritage sector.
Older students have the opportunity to join a Green Leaders programme, helping plan and deliver conservation days for the younger participants.
“At The Royal Parks we believe that everyone should have access to information, education and learning opportunities about nature, wellbeing and heritage. The Green Futures project will help support groups of young people in some of London’s most deprived areas to understand the importance of the natural environment, to learn together and build knowledge and skills. We know that the pandemic has exacerbated difficulties faced by so many young people across London and we believe that, with the Kusuma Trust’s support, this programme can help make a real difference.”
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The Royal Parks Foundation – Bringing Learning to Life
