Learn outdoors at Wildwood Escot

England’s largest outdoor learning initiative, the Natural Connections Demonstration Project, has published its findings on the benefits of learning outside.

It is revealed that children are more motivated to learn when outside; pupils from 125 schools from the South West of England are ‘happier, healthier and more motivated’ as a result of the project that has turned the outdoors into a creative learning space, empowering teachers to use their natural surroundings as a teaching support. The project has already helped more than 40,000 pupils from both primary and secondary schools get out of the classroom and learn outdoors.

Environment Minister Rory Stewart commented that ‘we learn to love nature as children, and our commitment to nature later in life – respecting it, protecting it, restoring it, or simply enjoying it – is built on that childhood foundation. That’s why it’s so important we give all children the chance to experience the natural world.’

Nestled in the heart of east Devon, Wildwood Escot is a place where children can do exactly that. With our wealth of knowledge on our native and formerly-native wildlife, as well as our thriving education programmes, there is plenty here to engage curious minds and allow children to explore the senses.

Every day, Wildwood Escot hosts a variety of animal feeds and birds of prey displays. Our keepers engage visitors with facts about our wildlife, encouraging education for all ages beyond a classroom environment. Aside from this, Wildwood Escot is the hub for extensive and hands-on school programmes. At our very own Anglo-Saxon village, Edcott, children can get involved with activities such as woodwork and milling, and they can even watch our working forge in action while learning about the day-to-day life of this era.

Schools can also opt for residential stays at our Yurt Village – these are proving to be so popular that next year’s programme is already fully booked, prompting an expansion to the site!

Class 1 teacher from Millwater School, Anna Higgins, shared that Wildwood Escot is also a place of learning beyond academia. Millwater School holds a membership pass with Wildwood Escot, and has been visiting for a number of years. For Anna, and the group of four to six-year-olds, the park is a place for learning vital life skills and enhancing curiosity. Here at Wildwood Escot, children are able to smell flowers, feel the bark of the bottle tree, as well as learn to sit and eat together calmly outside the classroom.

Anna said that the children simply love being outdoors. With over 200 acres of park to explore, and a variety of things to see and do, Wildwood Escot is great for young children that are slowly being exposed to new places – there is space to discover and play, but also escape from bigger groups if needed. She commented that ‘Wildwood Escot is a place that you can’t see in one day, but that you’ll surely come back for.’

About Wildwood Escot

Wildwood Escot is East Devon’s conservation and wildlife treasure, with its winding woodland paths and beautiful flowers, creating the perfect environment for our collection of native and formerly-native wildlife.

Start your adventure by picking up a free visitor map, guiding you around over 200 acres of stunning parkland where guinea fowl and majestic peacocks roam freely. Meet rare red squirrels in our walk-through enclosure, test your orientation with our world-class beech hedge maze, and marvel at our birds of prey displays. Navigate the vast woodland, stumbling across our wildcat and lynx enclosures, and discover Jurassic Pork where wild boar and their piglets roll around in the mud! With a hidden playground, a heart-stopping drop slide and an indoor play barn all to be discovered, Wildwood Escot is the perfect place for a family day out.