Booth Museum of Natural History invites children to take part in the Wild Escape, the UK’s largest ever museum project, on Earth Day

The Booth Museum of Natural History is one of over 500 museums taking part in The Wild Escape, produced by Art Fund.

It aims to inspire hundreds of thousands of children to visit museums and respond creatively to the threat to the UK’s natural environment and biodiversity by looking for animals featured in museum collections and creating their own wildlife artworks.

Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

At the Booth there will be storytelling sessions with a focus on positive stories about the natural world, craft sessions to make useful items from sustainable resources to help local wildlife, object handling sessions with our curators and a puppet show and a puppet show introducing Mr Booth and his amazing museum.

We will also have handouts available on how to look after creatures and plants in your local environment. These will highlight some of the at risk of extinction creatures we have in our collections and positive stories of where species have been brought from the brink of extinction through collective effort. Also, you can make an Earth Day pledge to help look after the environment.

The first hour of Earth Day, 10 – 11am, will be a ticketed quiet opening, making it accessible to people with any additional needs. Workshops will be delivered by our team of SEND trained Learning Assistants and we will have resources such as fidget toys and ear defenders available.

Activities for the day are aimed at 7–11-year-olds, who are curious about the environment and want to do something to help the climate emergency.

The Wild Escape is the largest ever collaboration between the UK’s museums. Over 500 museums are taking part, organised by the Art Fund in partnership with the WWF, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the National Trust and English Heritage.

Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said: “514 museums all around the UK have come together to deliver #TheWildEscape and show the power museums have to inspire children and young people to co-create an artwork to help animals, birds and insects escape the museums and return to their natural habitat. The young people develop their creative skills and their understanding of the importance of our wildlife and the future biodiversity of our Wild Isles.”

CEO of Brighton & Hove Museums Hedley Swain said: “This will be a fun day with a serious message. There will be lots of activities for families to do at the Booth but will also be a great opportunity to learn more about nature and discuss the future of the environment and nature with young people.”

According to a report by the Environment Agency published in July 2022, England is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, with impacts accelerating since the mid 20th century. The impacts on species have been severe, with a quarter of mammals in England and almost a fifth of UK plants threatened with extinction. A third of British pollinator species have declined.

Free admission 194 Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 5AA Tel 03000 290900 Opening Times Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 12pm-5pm Saturdays & Sundays, 10am-5pm Closed Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/