Hidden Nature Challenge

Upload your findings to our online map, where you’ll be able to see hidden nature being revealed in places of education across the country.

To take part, on the 4th October you’ll need to:

1)     Get outside and find one (or more) of the following:

• The smallest sign of nature
• A repeated pattern
• A nature free zone
• A plant in an unexpected place
• Something new to you

2)     Take a photograph to record the finding, and reflect on what it means to you using our prompts

3)     Add it to our online map and see how your finding compares to others!

Scan the QR Code on a phone or a tablet to open the Hidden Nature Challenge form.

You will be given the choice to open the form in the browser or to use the Survey123 field app.

If you know that you might be using the form in a place without an internet connection (either wifi or mobile) you should use the Survey123 field app. Follow the prompts to install the Survey123 app and open the form (you do not need to sign in anywhere to take part).

The Hidden Nature Challenge form uses your location from your device, make sure that you enable this or zoom in and add your point to the map manually.

Once you have submitted your finding on October 4th it will be reviewed for safety and then appear on our live map.  Open the map in a new tab .

• Did you find more or fewer things than you expected?
• What types of things did you find most of?
• If you found any nature free zones is there anything you would want to change about this area?

• What is the most interesting thing that someone else found?
• Have other schools found similar or different things to you? Why do you think that is?
• Are the things that people found different in different parts of England?
• What impact do you think all the schools, colleges and nurseries in England can make for nature?

We want as many schools, nurseries and colleges as possible to take part! Anyone in your school community can add data to the map as part of our challenge.

We suggest ten to twenty minutes will give time to find, photograph, and reflect on at least one piece of hidden nature. The challenge is therefore ideal to run over a lunch or longer breaktime in many settings, but can also be a lesson or longer learning episode if you want to collect more data or analyse your findings in depth. There will be resources to help with this below. You can add as many findings as you like to our map.

To take photographs, view and add data to the online map, you will need to use a digital device. The data collection app can run on any browser, so the type of device does not matter. If you have poor internet connectivity on your site, downloading the app in advance will allow you to collect data even without reliable connection when working outside. An offline version of the reflective prompts will be available.

You know best what activities and resources are suitable for the children and young people in your care.

Before using any resource or application that includes a practical activity, users should consult, and if necessary adapt, an appropriate educational risk assessment. Such risk assessment is the responsibility of the user. The partner organisations involved in the programme and the Department for Education do not accept any responsibility and shall not be liable to you or any third party for any losses, damages, claims, expenses or outcomes resulting from the use of content or applications included or referred to on this website.

All photographs taken as part of the Hidden Nature challenge are reviewed before inclusion in our map.

Education settings taking part in the National Education Nature Park and Climate Action Awards, whether through online, digital or practical activities, do so at their own risk. The safeguarding and wellbeing of children and young people taking part is the responsibility of their own educators who must follow their own settings’ policies at all times. 

 Learn more about the National Education Nature Park