New research has revealed that being closer to nature makes you 67 per cent happier, but one in six kids have not seen a single bug in six months.
How terribly sad is that?
The study marks the launch of Big Bugs on Tour at intu Milton Keynes, which brings adults and children face-to-face with 12 giant British bugs in an effort to reconnect people with nature and make them happier.
The initative by intu is backed by naturalist Chris Packham and features 12 supersized, indigenous bugs including the honeybee, ladybird, hornet, swallowtail butterfly and the nut weevil.
It launches at intu Milton Keynes this coming Tuesday (July 31) and will be on display until the end of August, before going on tour across other intu shopping centres nationwide.
The campaign to reconnect kids and adults to nature comes as reports show children are now better at identifying Pokemon characters than British wildlife, despite a £10 million pledge from Government to encourage children to get closer to nature.
The research by intu found that almost four in five parents want their children to be more connected to nature and 86 per cent think they spend too much time looking at screens, but one in six children in the UK have not set foot in a park or forest in the last 12 months.
One in five children were unable to correctly identify a bee while one in four children have not seen a caterpillar in over a year. One in ten kids did not know honey came from bees.
Adults were also lacking in their bug knowledge, with one in four unable to tell the difference between a bee and a wasp and a quarter unable to correctly identify a grasshopper.
Kirsty McGiff, marketing manager at intu Milton Keynes, said: “We know that a closer connection to nature makes people happier and Big bugs on tour is an opportunity to help educate adults and children on the importance of the bugs in their gardens and put a smile on their faces.
"Millions of people shop at intu centres every year so we hope bringing them face-to-face with these giant British bugs can make a real impact in how they interact and reconnect with nature, and ensure they are happier than when they arrived.”
Naturalist Chris Packham added:“We are facing a crisis in our countryside. I haven’t seen a single butterfly in my garden this year and more needs to be done to reconnect people with nature and start caring for and realising the importance of the bugs in your backyard.
"'intu’s Big bugs on tour is shining a big magnifying glass on this and also putting bugs into school classrooms, and is a fantastic initiative to alert to the importance of nature in our lives.”
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