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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.”
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