Largest outdoor learning project in the UK comes to North & East Devon.

Louise Graham of Natural Learning, based in North Devon, and The Countryside Team at East Devon District Council have been successfully awarded the lead coordinating roles in a new phase of the Natural Connections Demonstration Project, currently being delivered by Plymouth University on behalf of DEFRA, Natural England and English Heritage.

Natural Connections is one of the largest outdoor learning projects in the UK and has been running since October 2012. The project aims to increase the number of school aged children experiencing the benefits that come from learning outside the classroom in their local natural environments (LINE). It is all about working with teachers to use LINE across all curriculum areas and to promote healthy schools.

This new two yearphase of the project, which is called ‘Naturally Healthy Devon Schools’ will work in areas of multiple deprivation, focussing on primary, special and secondary schools in North and East Devon.

As the new ‘Hub leader’ for East Devon, Meg Knowles, Education Ranger with the Countryside team, will be working directly with Exmouth schools to support teachers to build LINE into their planning and day to day teaching practices. The project aims to build confidence and encourage school aged children, teachers and parents to regularly interact with Devon’s natural environment in order to improve their health and wellbeing, as an integral part of the Curriculum. The project also seeks to encourage volunteering opportunities in schools to support LINE.

‘I have a strong belief that, as well as bringing curriculum learning to life, outdoor learning supports children’s social, emotional and behavioural needs. It enables positive relationship building and leads to more physically active children who are then far more ready to learn,’ said project hub leader, Meg Knowles. ‘The opportunities offered by outdoor learning also give teachers new skills and inspiration to developmore creative lesson plans. This exciting project will support teachers by offering professional development, advice, funding, networking and opportunities to observe best practice over the next two years. Teachers want to build more confident and independent learners, because this leads to more children realising their potential, and learning in the natural environment readily supports this.’

Louise Graham, hub leader for North Devon and education lead with Natural Learning adds: ‘It’s very exciting to be involved in extending and sharing the outstanding outdoor learning opportunities North Devon offers, both in schools and at the many outdoor education sites across the area. What better place to learn than out in this beautiful environment on our doorstep? It’s the most wonderful resource for the region's children to experience. Regular contact with nature in childhood will help todevelop a lifelong connection with the natural environment. This benefits children’s' learning today, and their health, wellbeing and skills throughout their lives. The project brings lots of creativity for children and teachers to experience and enjoy during and beyond the next two years in North Devon. As well as interested schools, local outdoor learning providers can also get in touch with me to find out more and get involved with the training and events programme taking shape for the region’.

The Naturally Healthy Devon Schools Project is funded by Natural England, the Devon Local Nature Partnership (through the Devon Education for Sustainability Working Group), Devon County Council and CPRE Devon [The Campaign to Protect Rural Devon].

CPRE Devon works to promote the protection of the Devon countryside, whilst maintaining a balance between appropriate development and a tranquil, productive and beautiful environment. Margaret Hall, Chairman of East Devon CPRE said ‘With the help of a legacy, we are keen to expand our work to develop an interest and appreciation of the countryside in children. We are really pleased to be able to provide major sponsorship for the Naturally Healthy Devon Schools Project.We are looking forward to working with the Countryside Team at East Devon District Council and with Natural Learning in North Devon. We feel it is so important that children connect with the natural environment and experience first-hand the countryside on which we all depend’.

David Weatherly who leads on Outdoor Learning at the Devon LNP commented: ‘There is growing evidence of the positive impact that regular interaction with the natural environment can have on the physical, mental and spiritual health and well-being of children and young people, and it is one of the priorities of the Devon LNP. The natural environment in Devon is spectacular and the LNP welcomes this initiative to enable more of our young people to be inspired and exhilarated through experiencing it first-hand. The project will be of great benefit to communities in East and North Devon’.

John Holmes, Natural England’s Area Manager added: ‘Every child in England should be given the opportunity to experience and learn about the natural environment - outdoor learning also encourages children to be more active while they learn. Natural Connections already runs in Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon and we have now secured funding for this exciting expansion to other towns in the County. The work that the two new Hub Leaders will be doing with schools in Exmouth and North Devonis going to be a great opportunity for teachers and school communities to build their confidence and skills in using the natural environment for children’s learning across the curriculum. Feedback from teachers and schools so far has been overwhelmingly positive so it is great to see the project spread into new areas of Devon with a focus on healthy lifestyles.’

Throughout March and April, Meg will be recruiting Exmouth schools and Louise will be recruiting schools in North Devon.

If you are a teacher or outdoor learning provider who is interested in being part of the project you can contact:

Meg Knowles for the Exmouth area by email: or by phone: (01395) 516551 (ext 2060)

Louise Graham for the North Devon area: phone 01288 321474 or email

Ends

Notes to Editors

About the Naturally Healthy Devon Schools Project

This new programme, the ‘Naturally Healthy Devon Schools Project’, is funded by Natural England, the Devon Local Nature Partnership (through DESWG) and CPRE Devon. It is an extension of the existing Natural Connections Demonstration Project (NCDP) currently being delivered by Plymouth University on behalf of DEFRA, Natural England and English Heritage.

Natural Connections is one of the largest outdoor learning projects in the UK and has been running since Oct. 2012. The Project works in areas of Multiple Deprivation/ high levels of Free School Meals, and seeks to engage schools where there is no or limited outdoor learning. It aims to:

  • stimulate the demand from schools and teachers for learning in natural environments (LINE)
  • support schools and teachers in building LINE into their planning and practices
  • stimulate the supply of high quality LINE services for schools and teachers.

NCDP currently involves around 110 schools in the South West of England in LINE. The delivery model includes primary, secondary and special schools within existing hubs in Plymouth, Torbay/South Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire and Bristol.

See Natural Connections Demonstration Project

The Naturally Healthy Devon Schools Project will have a focus on how LINE {Learning in the Natural Environment} supports healthy schools, so will aim to increase our understanding of both the learning and health benefits of LINE in relation to two of Devon LNP’s priority themes:

  • Naturally Healthy vision: Everyone in Devon has the opportunity and the confidence to be ‘naturally active’ in order to improve their health and wellbeing;
  • Outdoor learning vision: People of all ages regularly interact with Devon’s natural environment as an integral part of lifelong learning.

About CPRE Devon

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) is a national charity founded in 1926 and has become over the last 87 years the foremost champion of the English countryside. We have a National Office in London which sets out to influence national policy and to raise awareness nation-wide of the big issues affecting the countryside by mounting national campaigns.

CPRE Devon is an “independent”, separate charity, number 245317, and our focus is quite rightly on Devon and the South West Peninsula. Visit

Our mission is to protect the Devon countryside in a way that underpins the local economy whilst maintaining all that is best in the balance between necessary development and a tranquil, productive and beautiful environment.The pressures for new development in our countryside are greater than ever.

About Devon Local Nature Partnership (Devon LNP)

The purpose of Devon LNP is to ‘ensure that a healthy natural environment underpins a high quality of life across Devon, with a strong green economy and healthy communities’.The LNP serves as an umbrella body that brings together everyone with an interest in securing the benefits of Devon’s amazing natural environment. The three aims of the LNP are

1. To protect and improve Devon’s natural environment- we will protect and enhance our natural resources and achieve bigger, better, joined up and resilient wildlife habitats together with characteristic landscapes;
2. To grow Devon’s green economy- we will support and promote business opportunities, which depend on, and help to sustain, a healthy natural environment;
3. To reconnect Devon’s people with nature- we will improve, and promote, access to the environment for residents and visitors, benefiting our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing and quality of life;

The LNP has identified seven inter-connected priority themes as the focus for its work. All help to meet Natural Devon’s three main aims. These themes were identified following consultation with Forum members in 2012 and 2013 and further details are available at

The Natural Devon Secretariat function is currently provided by Devon County Council. In the first instance please email the Secretariat by emailingor phone Sarah Jennings on 01392 383871. Alternatively, contactMabel Harrison 01392 383012.

About Natural England

Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment, and its work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public. Visit: Twitter: @naturalengland / Press office:

About Plymouth University

Consistently ranked as one of the leading universities in the UK, and awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2012, Plymouth has a strong record of excellence, enterprise and innovation across its teaching and research activities. Distinguished by its long-term engagement with business and the community, the University enjoys outstanding links with employers and plays a key role in civic and regional leadership. It is the only university in the world to have been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark in recognition of its work in support of the sector.

With around 30,000 students, including those studying higher education at its partner colleges throughout the South West, the University is one of largest in the UK. It enjoys a high rate of graduate employment and has recently invested more than £150 million in its estate and facilities to enhance the student experience and support world-class research.

Plymouth has embedded sustainability across its operations, and is the overall best performing university in the People & Planet Green League. It is the first modern university to found a medical and dental school – the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry – and is the leading provider of Higher Education in Cornwall. For more information, visit

Plymouth University press office contact: Andrew Merrington / 01752 588 004 /

1