Third of parents think squirrel paw prints made by meerkats!
Nature lessons clearly not so “simples” for UK parents who can’t identify common British animals
Over half of parents can’t identify a Sparrow, Britain’s most common bird, reveals a study of 1,000 parents carried out on behalf of the Disney Fairies.
Two thirds of parents surveyed admitted to spending less than an hour outside every day during autumn. Not only are mums and dads avoiding the cold, they’re shying away from learning about nature, which perhaps accounts for why several parents believed meerkats were indigenous to the UK. They are in fact often found in the deserts of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa (thanks Google!).
Parents also believed that a wolf (another non-indigenous animal to the UK), rather than a badger had made tracks in a path and even identified deadly berries as edible fruit.
Held back by their lack of knowledge it seems parents often put off spending time outdoors, claims Countryfile presenter, Ellie Harrison.
So this autumn grab the kids, get outside and spend some time learning to be at one with nature this half term. Maybe avoid any fruit though!
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