Website: http://www.rewildingchildhood.com/
Children discovering nature. For themselves.
So, what’s Rewilding Childhood all about in a nutshell?
Rewilding Childhood is a multi-media projecting highlighting how children in different parts of Europe experience wild nature and how that affects their social and emotional development.
What do you see as the principal objective/s of the project?
Rewilding Childhood has been set up as a not for profit company to create and distribute the imagery and audio material needed by organisations who advocate greater contact between children and nature. As well as supporting other organisations in this field, Rewilding Childhood itself is distributing its own outputs. It aims to make its expanding website THE principal information portal for organisations, researchers, parents, educators and children themselves wanting to go into green space and have fun.
Why do you see this project as important? / Why are you passionate about it?
In many parts of Europe, notably the UK, the link between people and the natural environment has been lost. So while “awareness” of “environmental issues” is probably at an all-time high, this is rarely translated into significant lifestyle choices. Our understanding of wild nature can be learned most profoundly when we are children; deny them the chance to do this and the estrangement from the systems that support us all will continue and deepen. I have grave doubts too over whether virtual worlds are anything like as much fun as the real, dirty, wet one.
What role do you think projects such as RWC play in modern society?
I’d like to think that projects such as Rewilding Childhood focus the public mind on issues that impact on all of us and do it in such a way that sets out courses of action rather than merely “raise awareness”. But I’m realistic enough to recognise that people have so much competition for their time already that it’s hard to get noticed.
How would you like RWC to develop in the next 5 years?
To secure funding to allow us to produce our comparative case studies from across Europe. We would also like to see a massive expansion in the number of contributions to the ‘100 Ways’ part of the site. With this body of original content in place, we would be better positioned to evolve into an independent advocacy organisation, drawing its authority from its contributors.
What will be the lasting legacy of RWC?
Ultimately, we’d like there to be a better appreciation amongst decision makers that access to wild nature is not a frivolous add-on but a fundamentally important freedom that has a bearing on the character of the people who experience it and their ability to lead in and adapt to a changing world.
Website: http://www.rewildingchildhood.com/
Authors: Niall Benvie & Catherine-Anne Lee
