The Horniman Museum and Gardens in London has recently gained support from the People’s Postcode Lottery players in order to help more children learn about nature at the attraction.
Due to funding of around £6,000 from the Postcode Local Trust, the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill will be able to offer curriculum-linked environmental learning sessions to teach children how to care for the environment.
Topics covered in the new sessions include exploring trees, caring for plants and creating habitats for local wildlife.
Kate Oliver, head of learning at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, commented: ‘It’s more important than ever that children have access to green spaces and can learn about the natural world.
“These sessions will allow young Londoners to observe, handle and smell natural objects, and inspire them to love and care for their environment. Thank you to People’s Postcode Lottery players.’
The Postcode Local Trust grant has enabled the Horniman to devise and start delivering the first 55 sessions. Over the course of the current academic year, more than 11,000 children are expected to take part in environmental learning at the Horniman.
Horniman’s environmental commitment
The environmental learning programme is part of the Horniman Museum and Gardens’ wider commitment to environmental responsibility, including its Project Coral research which is developing induced spawning of lab-based corals to support reef restoration.
The Horniman has also begun to refurbish its facilities for visitors to reflect this environmental commitment, replacing single-use plastics in its café, introducing a plastic bag charge, and hosting one of 20 new water refill points as part of the London Drinking Fountain Fund.
STO recently published an article on the importance of teaching children about conservation and the environment. You can read it here.
School information
Learning resources are available on the attraction’s website, as well as pre-existing learning sessions suitable for all Key Stages, such as Ancient Britain, Animals and their Habitats, Extreme Environments, and Gamelan.
Teachers can email schools@horniman.ac.uk for more details on school bookings.
For more information, visit www.horniman.ac.uk.
Lead image credit Laura Mtungwazi.
