| day run
by environmental regeneration initiative
The Mersey Forest at the school. The
families planted apple and cherry trees
that, as well as being pleasing on the
eye, will also provide healthy snacks
when they bear fruit. “The
children have done really well, and the
effort put in by everyone at the planting
day was tremendous,” said Jo Sayers,
The Mersey Forest’s Community
Development Officer. “The fruit
trees will improve the school’s
grounds and provide healthy fruit - and
planting them was great green exercise
too.”
Meanwhile
lessons at Prescot School in Knowsley are
taking on a new dimension thanks to a
makeover for the school woodland, managed
by pupils and staff. The wood, owned by
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council and
located next to the school on Knowsley
Park Lane, has been transformed over the
past four years from a derelict wasteland
into an innovative outdoor learning zone
- and pupils are now reaping the
benefits.
As well
as a new open air classroom space, the
woodland is also now home to an
archaeological dig area, bat boxes, a
nature trail and a new pond created by
Year 10 pupils and environmental charity
BTCV. Prescot pupil Lyndsey Lee, who has
been involved in the project since the
beginning, said: “Before you
couldn’t even step inside this
woodland. Tonnes of litter cluttered the
ground and the brambles and nettles made
it impossible to walk anywhere without
getting stung. We knew we had to do
something!”
The work
at both schools is part of a series of
school environment projects supported by
Cory Environmental Trust, partly through
the Landfill Communities Fund. Extra
funds at Prescot School were also
provided through European Objective 1.
The partnership between Cory and schools
in the local area, co-ordinated by The
Mersey Forest Team, is set to continue -
with funding in place for improvements at
more schools over the next four years.
“It’s
great to see the difference that has been
made,” said Angela Haymonds, Trust
Secretary of Cory Environmental Trust in
Britain. “The pupils have worked
really hard and it’s a project we
are delighted to support.”
|
