Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment pilot study: visits to the natural environment by children
Results from a project to test a method of measuring the level of access to the natural environment by children in England.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
The Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) children鈥檚 survey is a pilot study to test the methodology for development of a national indicator for children鈥檚 access to the natural environment.
The survey collected information on children鈥檚 visits to the natural environment, including the:
- frequency and destination of visits
- motivations for visits
- who visits were taken with
- whether adults were present
The study has been carried out as a partnership project between Natural England, Defra, Public Health England, Historic England and King鈥檚 College, London.
Survey method
A new were added to the main MENE survey and data collected from adults about children in their household. These additional questions were asked on a monthly basis and in the 2 year pilot gathered information on visits taken by over 10,000 children aged under 16 years.
How the survey is used
Natural England and its partners will use the findings of the survey to:
- inform their work, and that of other interested parties, to link it more closely to need
- evaluate the impact and effectiveness of this work
- measure the impact of policy intervention
Pre-release access list
The pre-release access order 2008 restricts who can see official statistics before they鈥檙e published. There鈥檚 a strict 24 hour period where details of the statistics can鈥檛 be disclosed before they鈥檙e published. The pre-release list (from 5 February 2016) consists of:
- Defra ministers and special advisers:
- Secretary of State
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for natural environment and science
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for water, forestry, rural affairs and resource management
- special advisers x 2
- Defra officers:
- permanent secretary
- press officers x 2
- director for countryside and nature
- evidence deputy director
- statistician
- senior policy adviser landscape, access, planning and forestry
- social research adviser
- Natural England:
- chief executive
- chief strategy and reform officer
- director - evidence
- director 鈥� landscape, access and geodiversity
- head of communications
- press officers x 2
Further information
See the MENE page for more information.