Discover wildlife for a chance to win prizes for your school during Hidden Nature Week

Schools can discover what wildlife is hiding around their school sites by taking part in the Hidden Nature Challenge from the National Education Nature Park this October, and have the chance to win some outdoor learning prizes.

Schools, nurseries and colleges across England are invited to celebrate Hidden Nature Week (14 to 20 October) by taking part in a free digital activity called the Hidden Nature Challenge.

No matter the size or shape of a school’s outdoor space, hidden nature is everywhere. Teachers can use the activity to take children and young people outside, where they will follow prompts to explore and record nature in their outdoor spaces, from the smallest sign of nature to plants in an unexpected place.

By uploading their findings online, they can see their discoveries alongside others across the country on an interactive map and have the chance to win one of three prize bundles. The activity can also be done offline, and findings uploaded afterwards.

The selection of nature-related goodies from the organisations behind the National Education Nature Park programme helps schools with their Nature Park journey and includes a camera trap along with books from the Natural History Museum and Royal Horticultural Society.

For a chance for schools to win:

– Make sure their school, nursery or college is registered for the National Education Nature Park programme

– Take part in the Hidden Nature Challenge between Monday 14 and Sunday 20 October 2024  

The National Education Nature Park is a free programme for all education settings in England, which sees young people embark on a journey to transform their learning sites for both people and wildlife and imagine them as one big nature park to boost biodiversity across the country.  

By following a five-step cycle, children and young people explore, map out and make changes in their outdoor spaces, collaborating with professional scientists on groundbreaking research to monitor the difference being made by those taking part. A library of free curriculum-linked resources provides educators with the tools and support they need to put nature at the heart of education across subject areas.

Launched in October 2023, over 3,000 education settings across England have already joined the Nature Park, which is being delivered by a partnership led by the Natural History Museum, working with the Royal Horticultural Society and other expert partners including Esri UK, and funded by the Department for Education as part of their sustainability and climate change strategy.

The giveaway is open to all education settings with a Department for Education URN in England. Just register for the Nature Park Programme here as ‘staff at a school college or nursery’ and participate in the Hidden Nature Challenge during week commencing 14 October 2024 to be automatically entered. Three winners will be chosen at random from those who enter and will receive a prize bundle with a retail value of £150.

Entries open 12.01am on 14 October 2024 and close at 11.59pm on 20 October 2024. Entrants must be aged 18+ to enter an education organisation. One entry is allowed per education organisation.