Half of youngsters aged nine to 11 were unable to identify a daddy-long-legs, oak tree, blue tit or bluebell, in the poll by BBC Wildlife Magazine. The study also found that playing in the countryside was children’s least popular way of spending their spare time, and that they would rather see friends or play on their computer than go for a walk or play outdoors. The survey asked 700 children to identify pictured flora and fauna. Just over half could name bluebells, 54 per cent knew what blue tits were and 45 per cent could identify an oak. Less than two-thirds (62 per cent) identified frogs and 12 per cent knew what a primrose was. Children performed better at identifying robins (95 per cent) and badgers, correctly labelled by nine out of 10. Sir David Attenborough warned that children who lack any understanding of the natural world would not grow into adults who cared about the environment. ‘The wild world is becoming so remote to children that they miss out,’ he said, ‘and an interest in the natural world doesn’t grow as it should. Nobody is going protect the natural world unless they understand it.’ Fergus […]