Broads Authority 'groundforce' team brings countryside into school
A team of Broads Authority field staff and conservation volunteers have swooped into a Great Yarmouth school, 'groundforce' style, to transform part of a playing field into a wildlife garden for use as an outdoor classroom.
The four strong team of countryside rangers, an assistant ranger, countryside volunteers and the projects team have set themselves five days to create five different wildlife habitats at North Denes School which is situated between the River Bure, on the Broads, and the dunes on the seafront.
They are creating woodland, a wild flower meadow, a marshy bog using peat from the Broads, a gorse heathland trail and a native hedgerow to inspire learning.
“The habitats are designed to introduce the 5-11 year olds to the wild world on their doorstep,” said Eilish Owen-Rothney, Countryside Ranger for the Ant and Thurne Valleys. “We wanted to bring a little bit of the Broads into the town. Wildlife areas can stimulate children to achieve in lots of subjects.”
The four area rangers, who are each in charge of a different river valley within the Broads, chose Gt Yarmouth because it is the confluence of all the rivers. They have worked with the children in class and are supporting the teachers to build a programme of study to fully use the area.
Head teacher Nancy Heywood said: "We are trying to instill in the children a love of the environment and of being outdoors and try to develop in them a responsibility for their environment. We are preparing the citizens of the future to look after the planet.
“There aren’t many places for children to learn about the environment around here. The cost of transport to take children into the country has become quite prohibitive so we wanted to create these opportunities on our own school site. The wildlife habitats will become part of the curriculum helping with science, literacy and numeracy and inspiring writing and learning.”
The Broads Authority rangers are working in partnership with a team of artists from the SeaChange Project who will bring the wildlife areas to life through art, sculptures, storytelling, writing and video work. An environmental artist will be helping the pupils build a willow weave boat which will be surrounded with blue wild flowers - speedwell, forget-me-nots, scabious and skullcap - to imitate water.
On Thursday 5 March parents and children will be joining in with hedge planting and sowing a wild flower meadow and working with the artists.
Last year North Denes School won the Norfolk School Sustainability Award and became a Healthy Norfolk School. It is now working towards its Eco Schools Green Flag status.
04/03/2009
