In August 2026, the "Wonders of Nature, All in Xianhu" summer nature education camp opened at Shenzhen Xianhu Botanical Garden, with eight featured courses attracting numerous teenagers. Meanwhile, Shenzhen's nature education industry has taken shape, with nearly 200 members in the Mountains-Seas-Connected-City Nature Education Alliance, of which enterprises account for 60.1%. Nature education is moving from classrooms to urban public spaces, bringing innovation in educational models while also raising a series of legal issues: How should event organizers ensure participant safety? How should liability for accidental injuries be allocated? Who owns the intellectual property rights of course content? From a lawyer's perspective, this article analyzes the legal risks and compliance points of nature education activities in light of the Civil Code and relevant regulations.

I. Duty of Safety Protection and Tort Liability in Outdoor Study Activities

Natural education activities are mostly held in open spaces such as parks and botanical gardens, involving outdoor exploration, specimen making, and other segments, with most participants being minors. According to Article 1198 of the Civil Code, if managers of public venues or organizers of mass activities fail to fulfill their safety protection obligations, causing harm to others, they shall bear tort liability. As the event organizer, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden needs to conduct full risk assessments of venue facilities and activity procedures, deploy professional medical staff, and purchase accident insurance for participants.

In judicial practice, similar cases are common. For example, a nature education organization in a certain area organized a bird-watching activity but failed to inspect the area for poisonous insects in advance, resulting in a child being stung. The court ruled that the organization bore 70% of the liability. Lawyers remind that organizers should fulfill their "safety guarantee obligations within a reasonable scope," including but not limited to: advance safety notifications, on-site supervision by designated personnel, and the formulation of emergency plans. If the activity is undertaken by a third-party organization, the organizer must review its qualifications and clearly define the division of responsibilities in the contract to avoid "buck-passing" management.

In addition, minors' participation in activities requires guardian consent. According to Article 1213 of the Civil Code, if a person without civil capacity is harmed in an educational institution, the institution must prove that it has fulfilled its management duties; otherwise, fault is presumed. Therefore, the organizer should retain the signed "Safety Notification" and "Risk Warning Letter" from parents as evidence for exemption from liability.

II. Intellectual Property Protection of Nature Education Course Content

Nature education courses include intellectual achievements such as lesson plans, observation manuals, and specimen-making methods, and the ownership of their intellectual property rights is a core issue for industry development. Nature education in Shenzhen has shown a trend of industrialization, with increased corporate participation and a corresponding rise in the risks of course copying and plagiarism. Under Article 3 of the Copyright Law, original content such as course handouts, videos, and charts is legally protected, and unauthorized reproduction or dissemination may constitute infringement.

The lawyer recommends that course developers register their copyrights promptly and clarify the ownership of rights. If the work is created in the course of employment, ownership should be determined in accordance with Article 18 of the Copyright Law; if it is commissioned development, intellectual property clauses should be stipulated in the contract. For example, when Xianhu Botanical Garden cooperates with research institutions to develop courses, both parties should clarify the boundaries of rights regarding subsequent use, modification, and commercialization.

In practice, there have been cases where a nature education institution directly copied another party's course outline for commercial training and was ordered by the court to pay economic damages and reasonable expenses. To avoid disputes, institutions can establish an internal compliance review mechanism, conduct originality screening of course content, and keep records of the creation process.

III. Contracts and Consumer Rights Protection in the Industrialization of Nature Education

The commercialization of nature education means more commercial institutions entering the market, charging parents fees and providing services. According to Article 20 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, business operators shall provide truthful and comprehensive information about their goods or services and shall not make false or misleading publicity. Expressions such as "expert mentors" and "exclusive routes" in course promotions must be substantiated; otherwise, they may constitute false advertising.

In terms of contracts, when parents enroll, they form a service contract relationship with the institution. According to Article 496 of the Civil Code, standard form clauses must be prominently indicated; otherwise, they may not become part of the contract. Lawyers remind that institutions should clearly specify clauses such as refund rules, course adjustment mechanisms, and force majeure handling in the enrollment agreement. For example, if a course is canceled due to heavy rain and the agreement does not provide for it, consumers may claim a partial refund.

Additionally, nature education involves the collection of animals and plants and must comply with the Wildlife Protection Law and the Regulations on the Protection of Wild Plants. If activities include catching butterflies or picking plants, it must be ensured that the species are not on the protected list and that relevant approvals are obtained. In 2025, a nature education institution in a certain area was administratively penalized for organizing students to catch nationally protected second-class insects—a profound lesson.

IV. Construction of a Government-Guided Compliance System for Nature Education

Shenzhen's nature education has shifted from "government-led" to "society-participated," with enterprises accounting for over 60%, and the government's role changing from "athlete" to "referee." At the policy level, Shenzhen has issued relevant standards for nature education, but legal regulations still need improvement. Lawyers suggest that industry associations could take the lead in developing group standards for nature education services, clarifying baseline requirements for safety, teaching staff, and course quality.

Enterprises participating in nature education need to monitor administrative regulatory developments. For example, when park venues are involved, a usage agreement must be signed with the park management to clarify liability boundaries; when commercial promotion is involved, compliance with Article 4 of the Advertising Law is required to avoid exaggerating educational outcomes. At the same time, enterprises should establish complaint-handling mechanisms and maintain open channels for parent feedback to prevent consumer disputes from escalating.

Lawyers believe that nature education is a "good thing" but needs to be "done well." Through compliance management, not only can legal risks be reduced, but brand credibility can also be enhanced. Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm has long focused on legal affairs in the education industry and can provide professional services such as contract review, compliance training, and dispute resolution for nature education institutions, helping the industry develop healthily.

Conclusion: Law Safeguards Nature Education

The development of nature education in Shenzhen is a microcosm of the city's ecological civilization construction. From classrooms to parks, from government to enterprises, every step requires the protection of the law. Event organizers should keep safety obligations in mind, curriculum developers should respect intellectual property rights, and commercial institutions should operate with integrity. Only in this way can nature education truly achieve "ecological well-being for all." If you or your organization encounter legal questions in the field of nature education, you are welcome to consult Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm, and we will help you proceed steadily and far with professional expertise.