National nature charity Heal is asking for the public’s help in a new survey entitled “The Spark”. The survey aims to discover which creatures sparked a love of nature in people’s childhoods and how these early experiences have influenced their connection to the natural world.
Heal, a registered charity that works to raise money and rewild land in England, wants to gather stories and experiences from people of all ages and walks of life. The survey is open to anyone aged 10 to 110 and can be completed anonymously.
The survey asks participants to think back to their childhood and share which British creatures fascinated them, if they had a favorite, and to recount personal stories and memories. It also explores whether family and friends were an influence and if their school or home school setting had an area for nature.
Jan Stannard, co-founder of Heal, shared her own childhood fascination with tadpoles and woodlice, saying “Nature has a quiet but powerful way of entering our hearts, sometimes through a single, unforgettable moment in childhood. We want to find out what experiences people of all ages and walks of life have had.”
The survey, which can be found at http://bit.ly/3TPr9qI, will be open until August 31, 2025. The results, along with selected stories, will be featured on Heal’s website and in their monthly newsletter Heal Highs.
Heal’s mission is to raise money, buy land, and rewild it in order to aid in nature recovery, climate action, and wellbeing. Their first rewilding site, Heal Somerset, was purchased in December 2022 and is open to the public 50 weeks a year.
For more information about Heal and their work, visit their website at www.healrewilding.org.uk. To take part in “The Spark” survey and share your stories, visit http://bit.ly/3TPr9qI.
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