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As urbanisation and digital access increases, children are growing up without the understanding and experience of what nature is.

Engagement with nature has multiple reported physical, mental and social benefits, as well as improves conservation behaviour. Engagement with nature may therefore be an effective way to target the current decline in child wellbeing and academic performance in Australia, as well as support the very environment that provides this benefit.

The Australian school context provides a unique environment whereby the use of outdoor engagement with nature as a learning tool could provide a vehicle for positive change amongst Australian children. The question remains as to whether we can use engagement with nature at school to improve the lives of Australian children, and bring about greater awareness and care for the environment?

(School of Psychology) is partnering with the and the to produce 4,000 resource boxes that will be delivered to Australian primary schools to enable implementation of a nature-based learning project aligned with the current school curriculum.

For each participating classroom, the project will involve:

1. The provision of the resource box at no cost to the school


2. A preliminary measure of student mental health, social skills and resilience, connection to nature, daily activity, and school performance


3. Implementation by school classes of a nature-based project, and


4. Follow-up of student outcome

For interested schools, please see Ìýfor the information toolbox or contact Angela ColliverÌýdirect from the Jane Goodall Institute.

Blog post byÌý. Contact Mark for more information about this research please.