A Bradley Stoke school has made it through to the finals of Avon Wildlife Trust’s 2023 Wildlife Gardening Competition and is asking members of the local community to vote for it.
Wheatfield Primary School has been recognised regionally for its wildlife-friendly approach in managing its school grounds. Following over a year’s worth of hard work the school is now showcasing simple wildlife projects that can make an impact on our local environment, all of which can be recreated in our own gardens.
Pupils, parents and carers have all worked together to create an exciting and inspiring outdoor space for pupils to learn and play in. A series of Grounds Days, held every term, has enabled the school to create a wide range of wildlife friendly projects.
Mrs Hazel Boyes, the school’s environment co-ordinator, commented:
“Pupils and their families have worked hard and created homes for hedgehogs and solitary bees, and provided food and shelter for pollinating insects in our wildflower meadow strips. Our Eco Club oversaw the planting of fruit trees which will provide food for insects and birds. We have a rain garden to slow the flow of water after storms and this provides water and food for insects and birds. Our newly established allotment, which is regularly used for teaching is pesticide free.”
Mrs Boyes added:
“Volunteers from the community learnt new skills in hedgelaying and helped to lay over 80 metres of hedge, providing safe passage for wildlife. We have also put up bird and bat boxes in our grounds, and have started making holes in our boundary fences so that hedgehogs can roam freely in search for food. This ties in with a local campaign run by the Town Council to encourage hedgehog highways.”
John Morris, school governor and Grounds Day leader, commented:
“Within the last week we have learnt from the published 2023 State of Nature report that the abundance of species studied in the UK has declined by 19 percent on average since records began in 1970. Our country is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and despite nature struggling against all odds to survive, more than one in seven native species face extinction and more than 40 percent are in decline.”
He added:
“Our simple-to-implement wildlife-based projects now form a nature trail which pupils can explore and learn more about different habitats and the wildlife that live within them. Our aim is to inspire young people to take up an interest in the environment and help reverse this decline and build a better future for wildlife and our wellbeing.”
Everyone associated with Wheatfield is hoping the whole Bradley Stoke community will get behind them and vote for the school in this year’s final of the Wildlife Gardening Competition.
You can read more about the three finalists and register your vote on the Avon Wildlife Trust website:
? Wildlife Gardening Competition: Schools Vote
Voting is open until Monday 16th October 2023.
The result
UPDATE added 21st October 2023.
From the Wheatfield Primary School newsletter, 20th October 2023:
“Thank you very much to everyone who voted for Wheatfield in the Wildlife gardening competition. We were the runners up in the competition and just pipped at the post by Horfield Primary school. They only received 53 more votes than us so it was so close!”
“Avon Wildlife Trust commented on how well we did in the competition and praised all of the community for the work done to date to improve the grounds for wildlife. They particularly loved the blue heart trail and how involved the children have been in all of the wonderful projects.”
“Wheatfield are currently making further links with Abacus nursery who hope to bring in some of their nursery children to take part in our trail.”
“As a thank you and well done for coming in 2nd place, we will receive a £50 voucher to spend at ‘Grow Wilder’ to purchase autumn or spring plants. So, a big thank you goes out to all of the community, staff, children and parents for all of the hard work which has gone into our wonderful grounds.”
“This effort has further raised the profile of the school and the next grounds day will strive to implement some of the ideas put forward by Avon Wildlife Trust.”
