Wild Adventure Space

Wild Adventure Space for Young People

Scoping research for Natural England

Research team: Catharine Ward Thompson, Penny Travlou, Jenny Roe, Anna Orme

Keywords: wild space; adventure; young people; youth; risk

Introduction to the aims of the study and methodology

1. Aims of the study

The objective of this study is to investigate the hypothesis that the “wild environment” can play an important role in meeting the developmental needs of young people across England. It has been undertaken on behalf of the Countryside Agency, English Nature and the Rural Development Service.

The research is aimed at exploring what role wild adventure space plays in the lives of young people. It investigates how the wild environment helps meet young people’s different developmental needs and provides an overview of existing schemes and research that have implications for young people throughout England.

The context for this work is the policy development strategy for the new single body, entitled Natural England, formed from elements of the project commissioning partners, that has been formed under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill: http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/ruraldelivery/bill/default.htm

2. The Brief

The brief asked for research in order to:
a) Gather together evidence of the potential benefits to young people of “Wild Adventure Space”
b) Identify the issues concerned with providing “Wild Adventure Space for young people, including benefits to society, future planning and
possible barriers
c) Recommend how Natural England should take this work forward, including recommendations for management of natural spaces and associated
schemes.