IPA's Lucy Benson is the lead on Islington Play Association's ‘Finding Nature Through Play' project which will run from October 2010 to October 2012. This project will be delivered at Islington's twelve adventure playgrounds, where children will create mini nature reserves providing homes for birds, insects and other native wildlife.

Playing in nature creates opportunities for discovery, solitude, imagination, fantasy, exploration and an understanding of life cycles, all of which help children to discover their own human nature.

Along with a small team of nature workers Lucy will be supporting children and their playworkers enhance 6 playgrounds in the first year of this project. Children will dig ponds, plant hedgerows, trees and shrubs; they will build nesting boxes and hides where they can secretly watch animals. The development of playgrounds will be empowering for children by offering them the tools and skills they need to transform and adapt their own play spaces.

The ‘Finding Nature Through Play' project is funded by Natural England through Access to Nature, as part of the Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme. We are very grateful to them for their support.

If you want to be involved in this project in any way please contact lucy@islingtonplay.org.uk