Million-dollar donation aims to transform children and young people into nature detectives

Many parents dream of more quality time as a family – preferably outdoors to the sound of birdsong and the scent of pine. In Denmark, 40 locations already have success with green activities for children, youth, and families through 4H’s local associations. However, a quick look at the map of Denmark also shows large areas without offerings. This is about to change thanks to a million-dollar donation from the surplus funds of the Agricultural Lottery, according to a press release from 4H. The nationwide children and youth organization is making a big effort to start new activity communities for families with children. The million-dollar donation from the Agricultural Lottery is an invaluable help in this effort, says Sarah Andersen, secretary-general of 4H. “These surplus funds will make a huge difference. We are a small organization, and it simply wouldn’t be possible to pursue this project without the funds from the Agricultural Lottery,” she says. Nature experiences for the whole family Leading the project is the newly hired organizational development officer at 4H, Morten Bach Hyldelund. Over the next two years, he will work under the slogan ‘4H Everywhere’. His goal is to create activity hubs in local communities, from big cities to small villages, and to kickstart leisure activities at least 13 new locations across the country. “Communities are important – and healthy – for everyone, but especially for children and young people. 4H is, in a way, a return to our roots, where we learn about nature and where food comes from. My aim is for the project to give many children and young people great nature experiences together,” says Morten Bach Hyldelund. This is not the first time surplus funds from the Agricultural Lottery have been transformed into children’s joy within 4H by supporting projects focused on sustainability and learning at a child-friendly level. In recent years, support has mainly gone to concepts like ‘Insect Hotels,’ ‘Gendyrk,’ and ‘Wildly Edible,’ each teaching children and young people to care for nature in their own way. 4H unleashes nature detectives Director of Customer Experiences at the Agricultural Lottery, Naja Jønsson Buhr, says, “4H makes a very special effort to give children and young people experiences that strengthen both their love of nature and their sense of community. We are proud that our surplus funds can help support work that means so much to so many.” In the effort to start activity sites, a new concept called ‘Nature Detectives’ is introduced, which, along with previous concepts, aims to make it easy for local enthusiasts to go from idea to creating valuable local communities. In ‘Nature Detectives,’ children are given the freedom to be curious about nature and to find answers together through practical family activities outdoors.