Norfolk Wildlife Trust is contributing £1,000 to the campaign to give a copy of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris to every primary school in Norfolk – but we need your help to reach the final target.
The book celebrates the “lost” nature words - such as acorn, willow and kingfisher - that used to be commonly used in the English language.
Inspired by similar campaigns around the country, Henry Layte, owner of the Book Hive in Norwich, teamed up with author, Patrick Barkham, to deliver 20 free copies of the book to primaries across north Norfolk and Broadland. Alongside this Andrea Tiplady set up a crowdfunding appeal and raised enough funds to supply the book to 100 north Norfolk and Great Yarmouth schools.
We have now added a further £1,000 to the appeal total from its
Children and Nature Fund, which was established by NWT Vice President, John Snape to fund ways of connecting children with Norfolk’s wildlife.
Robert Macfarlane, the nature writer and author of
The Lost Words, said: "Starlings, skylarks, newts, kingfishers... Everyday nature is falling fast from both our landscapes and our language. This wonderful campaign - inspired by Andrea Tiplady, Henry Layte and Patrick Barkham, and now generously carried forwards by Norfolk Wildlife Trust - seeks to reverse that loss and to re-wild childhoods and re-green classrooms across all the primary schools of Norfolk."
Chief Executive of Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Pamela Abbott said: “If you have seen this book then you will know what a charmed thing it is. The illustrations and words delightfully engage and inspire everyone who reads it to connect with the natural world and its sights and sounds. If children can feel in their hearts that wildlife is precious, they will love it and want to protect it. Please help us raise the final £1,000 needed to get a copy of this crucial book into every primary school in Norfolk.”
Andrea Tiplady said "The feedback so far from schools that have received the book has been wonderful. Children and teachers love it and lots of interesting school projects are underway all over the country. I'm really excited that Norfolk Wildlife Trust is continuing the fundraising and that with people's help, we can reach the target to get this wonderful book into every school in Norfolk."
Natural History writer, Patrick Barkham said, "Too many children are growing up unaware of their neighbourhood nature. Words such as conker, blackberry and starling are disappearing from our culture and have even been cut from children's dictionaries. The Lost Words is a wonderful book which restores ordinary species' place in our hearts. My children love this book and every child in Norfolk deserves the chance to enjoy it, and become inspired and enriched by the wildlife around them."