Chris Packham and David Attenborough urge children to get outside

The young naturalist is a dying breed, according to WWT Vice-Presidents Chris Packham and Sir David Attenborough.

Pond dipping (c) Jerome Favre
Pond dipping (c) Jerome Favre

When Chris interviewed Sir David for the Radio Times, the two agreed that children today generally don’t have the freedom to explore and develop a heart-felt passion for nature.

Commenting on the interview on Radio 4’s Today programme, Chris Packham said:

“"There are absolutely no young people enjoying our countryside. I feared we have turned our countryside into a dark and dangerous place for children. They don't engage with nature. They aren't picking up fossils, watching fox cubs in the early morning.”

WWT Director of Communications Amy Coyte commented:

WWT wetland centres offer the perfect first step into the natural world. Over half of us now live in an urban environment, both parents often work all week and, quite understandably, have concerns for their children’s safety. In the little time that families have together, they want to be confident they’re all going to enjoy themselves and they’re going to be safe.

“At WWT’s nine wetland centres we nurture that confidence. People visit us from a really broad spectrum of interests and they come for different reasons but they all have an unforgettable wildlife encounter. They get to see nature up close. They get that feeling of wilderness, and they have the opportunity to speak with experts and learn about the wetland world.

“Of course we hope they come back to us again and again, but we want them to set out to explore more widely too. Those, surely, are the first steps to becoming the David Attenboroughs of the future.”

How WWT is inspiring generations

Visit a WWT Wetland Centre

  • Share this article