Half of UK adults say they spend less than three hours a week outside in nature | Access to green space

Climbing trees, drowning in mud, paddling across ponds or building shelters in the woods; People’s memories of playing outside as children are often vivid, and even those who remember falling into a herd of cows are overwhelmingly positive, a new survey has found.

The survey found that almost 90% of adults in the UK have fond memories of the excitement and sense of freedom that playing outdoors brought them. However, according to the research, almost half of adults now spend less than three hours a week in natural environments such as gardens, parks, fields or forests. For one in 10 people, this time is less than an hour.

The survey of 2,000 people for the Wildlife Foundation found this was in sharp contrast to childhood, when almost two-thirds of people said they spent more than half their free time outdoors.

It is known that spending time in nature significantly benefits physical and mental health. Previous research has shown that regular access to green spaces reduces GP visits by 28% and Save the NHS £2bn a year.

The government has committed to ensuring everyone has access to green space a 15-minute walk from their home, but currently one in five households is not within that distance. Access is even worse in poorer areas.

“Being outdoors in nature brings so much joy to us all: fresh air, sunshine, birdsong and so many proven health benefits,” said Dom Higgins, head of health and education at the Wildlife Trusts. “So it was hard not to be alarmed by the number of people spending so little time outdoors, but we also need to take into account that not everyone has easy access to natural environments.”

“On the other hand,” he said, “city parks feature strongly in happy childhood memories, and this is incredibly reassuring because our precious urban green spaces can offer both access to nature and a strong sense of community and belonging.” However, spending on parks has decreased in the last decade due to shrinking municipal budgets.

Two-thirds of people in the survey said thinking about childhood memories made them more likely to reconnect with nature.

Higgins said: “We’re urging people to recall childhood memories of being outside for a few minutes and then get out and experience nature once again. Taking a moment to rewild yourself can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths in your local park or lying down and looking through the trees at the birds above.”

Wildlife Foundation 30 Days Wild 3 million people have taken on the challenge in the past decade and this year the charity has provided free guides and children’s activity packs featuring TV character Bing.

More than three-quarters of children said they wanted to spend more time in nature, according to a 2024 survey by the National Trust. But it found that two-thirds of parents were only able to take their children to nature areas once a week or less, with accessibility being the main barrier. A 2016 survey found three-quarters of children in the UK spent less time outdoors than people in prison.

Julie Jones-Evans, chair of the Local Government Association’s culture, tourism and sport committee, said parks and green spaces were vital for local communities. But he said councils were facing financial pressure due to increasing demand for legally required services, including social care and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

“This leaves discretionary services such as parks vulnerable and shows why it is important that councils are supported by adequate and sustainable funding to protect these important services,” Jones-Evans said.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “This government is ensuring access to nature for everyone across the country. It’s opening or developing green spaces wherever you live.” The spokesman said nine new national riverwalks were planned, one in each region of England, as well as three new national forests, the first of which would stretch from the Cotswolds to the Mendips.