Urban children experience gains in knowledge and attitudes towards local wildlife while participating in a bird feeding and monitoring project

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a bird-feeding and monitoring project (“Bird Buddies”) on children's awareness, knowledge, and attitudes towards local wildlife. The study was based on the growing concern of children's disconnection from nature and the resulting “extinction of experience” with the natural world.

Bird Buddies, an environmental education project based in the United Kingdom, provides urban primary children with outdoor learning opportunities to increase their awareness and knowledge of local biodiversity and to promote positive attitudes and behavior towards the environment. This study explored and assessed the influence of the Bird Buddies program as it was implemented with eight (sub-) urban primary schools in Brighton and Hove (UK) with 220 children (age 7-10) participating. The first phase of the six-week project consisted of an introduction and engagement workshop, which included hands-on activities focusing on bird identification and ecology. During the second two weeks, students surveyed the school yard for birds without bird feeding. During the last four weeks, students conducted bird surveying with bird feeding. Bird feeding and surveying equipment were provided to the participating schools.

Students completed questionnaires before and after their participation in the project. Questionnaire results were used to analyze change in students' knowledge and attitudes, their interrelationship, and the influence of sociodemographic variables. Researchers also used student and teacher feedback to assess student enjoyment and short-term benefits of the project. A one-year follow-up with teachers assessed continued interest in birds and bird feeding at the class/school level and examined evidence of long-term benefits and wider impact.

Findings included enhanced awareness of local biodiversity, along with significant gains in both bird identification knowledge and attitudes. These gains were greatest for children with little prior exposure to nature. Additionally, younger children (age 7-8) showed greater gains in bird identification scores and in attitudes than older children. Many children expressed interest in improving the environmental value of their school grounds and in applying elements of the project at home. One year after the project, several schools continued to feed and watch birds.

These findings highlight the multiple benefits that can be gained from a relatively short outdoor environmental activity. The findings also suggest that educational efforts designed to improve knowledge of local animals should target younger primary school children. This research calls attention to the important role schools can play in reconnecting children with nature. A key outcome of the project was that both knowledge and attitudes improved most for children with the least prior engagement with nature.