Members from our research centre have been succesful securing funding by the University’s Public & Community Engagement (PCE) Development Fund through the Public Engagement with Research Unit in order to develop a new approach for engaging young children with nature and the environment.

The project, Wild Citizens! – enabling children to become active environmental citizens, encourages and supports primary school children to become active citizen scientists and environmental citizens by focusing on wildlife in their school grounds.

As future stewards of the planet, it is vital that today’s children understand about climate change and sustainable development, and know how to engage in activities which help protect the environment. The pupils are participating in designing and constructing an outdoor ‘Wild Science Lab’ to attract, protect and record wildlife as part of an afterschool club. They are developing data-handling skills and will be communicating their findings within their local community, whilst reaping the health and wellbeing benefits of connecting with nature.

MSHE research centre members involved in the Wild Citizens project are: Dr Jenny Byrne, Dr Andri Christodoulou, Prof Marcus Grace, Dr Carys Hughes, and Dr Charis Voutsina.

For more information contact us at: A.Christodoulou@soton.ac.uk, M.M.Grace@soton.ac.uk.