Giving children a taste of the outdoors

Our charity, The Garden Classroom, has responded to London teachers’ concerns about pupils’ mental health by offering urban forest schools in Islington parks (Letters, 11 November). Pupils in schools just north of King’s Cross station spend half a day a week in Caledonian Park exploring the wooded areas. Islington has the least open access green space of anywhere in the country. If we can do it, anyone can!
Rosey Lyall
Founder trustee, The Garden Classroom

• I am doing my best (Insect apocalypse’ poses risk to all life on Earth, conservationists warn, 13 November). On my allotment I provide brassicas for caterpillars and white flies, broad beans for aphids, carrots for carrot flies, and borage for bees. I also have homes for other invertebrates including slugs and snails. What else should I try?
Elizabeth Pearson
New Barnet, London

• Rather than being invented by Mumsnet users (G2, 13 November) D&V has been in use for many years in the medical profession to stand for diarrhoea and vomiting. It was adopted as the name of the anarcho-punk duo D&V in Sheffield in 1980.
Paul Jeremy
Brighton, East Sussex

• Our son, while a schoolboy, took up the tuba. One day he returned from school and I asked where the tuba was. There was an appalled silence and then he told me he’d left it at the bus stop (Letters, 8 November).
May Moran
Solihull

• As well as the National Science and Media Museum (G2, 13 November), Bradford is home to The Peace Museum, the only museum dedicated to the history of peace in the UK.
Beryl Milner
Otley, West Yorkshire

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