Campaigners have called for children to be given lessons outdoors as a poll found that many parents believe health and safety fears are preventing pupils from learning in the countryside.
Nine in 10 parents (91%) think it is important that their child learns about the countryside at school, the survey found.
And a similar proportion (92%) believe youngsters would benefit from being taught the topic outside the classroom, such as through taking part in visits to farms or rural areas.
However, while almost two thirds of the parents questioned (64%) said schools' concerns about health and safety were a major barrier to learning outdoors, many said they were not worried about this issue.
Just more than a fifth (22%) said they would be concerned about health and safety risks if their child was taken for lessons in the countryside.
The Countryside Alliance Foundation, which conducted the poll, warned that for many children, the countryside remains an "enigma" and called on Government to address the "myths and fears" surrounding the risk of holding lessons outside.
The report concludes: "The hype that often surrounds rare incidents on school trips has created the illusion that they are inherently dangerous.
"In fact new research, obtained through a freedom of information request, shows that nothing could be further from the truth."
The Foundation's chief executive Alice Barnard said: "For many of our children the countryside remains an enigma. This is primarily because schools rarely venture outside the classroom.
"The message from this poll is clear: parents want their children to learn more about the countryside, in the countryside."