Do you know how to look after our countryside?

Carolyn (Caz) Cockcroft founded Suffolk Outdoor Learning in 2019. Here, Caz talks about her passion for the countryside and why she is launching a campaign to educate children on how the countryside should be treated.

I had one purpose: to inspire children to learn about the countryside, whilst having fun. It’s great to see families and their friends learn about insects, animals, and nature at our weekend workshops in the countryside.

However, in order to enjoy the countryside, we have to respect it.

I always teach adults and children how important it is to tidy up the materials we use as part of our science, arts, and craft sessions. We make sure we close gates behind us, and we check for any litter before we leave. We are also respectful of any animals or insects we come across.

It is devastating to hear the recent news about the amount of litter people are leaving behind after outside parties and BBQs. It is not only damaging to the environment, but to insects, animals, and birds. It also ruins the countryside for others and sets a terrible example for the next generation. I want all children to be able to enjoy the countryside free of rubbish.

I grew up in the countryside and we were taught the countryside code. You can read it in full here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code

The main message is clear: respect the countryside and wildlife and make sure you clear any litter up.

Life is busy for families now. I know it’s not always easy to teach children how to look after the countryside,  especially since families tend to spend less time in the countryside than they did in the past. I want to help you to teach your children the importance of looking after the environment, and the positive impact their actions can have.

Our Campaign:

Let’s teach our children to take excellent care of the countryside.

We know that children learn best when they are actively learning and having fun. That’s why we’re opening up a competition to raise awareness of The Countryside Code.

The Competition:

We challenge every child to create a poster that shows other people how the countryside should be treated.

The poster can include anything and everything that your child loves about the countryside. We welcome lots of colours, different materials, and even words to describe what’s happening in the poster.

Please send your posters, or photos of your posters to:

[email protected] or post onto the Facebook page Campaign to Educate on the Countryside Code.