Access to gardens and citizen science helps encourage conservation among children, study shows

Access to gardens and citizen science projects at school can help promote pro-conservation behaviour among pupils, a new study shows.

Offering children the chance to take part in authentic scientific ecological work and gardening encourages an interest in plants.

This can change behaviour – to spend more time gardening or to pursue a botanical career – and fuels a positive attitude towards safeguarding the environment, experts found.

Dr Bethan Stagg from the University of Exeter and Professor Justin Dillon, from UCL, assessed the evidence around teaching conservation and ecology.

Dr Stagg said: “Ecological gardens provide opportunities for in-depth observation of ecological interactions, develop empathy with living organisms and to increase interest in the natural environment and how our actions affect it. Active interactions with plants through gardening and planting activities, are particularly effective for fostering plant awareness.”