Lean Green Eco Machine

Going wild!

With the alternate sunshine and rain we are experiencing at the moment, the plants in the new wild area are developing very well. There are already a number of flowers out and attracting insects.

Working with Wight Wildlife

This week pupils from 5GB have been working with Mrs Grogan from Wight Wildlife to understand the importance of biodiversity and to enhance the biodiversity of species living in our school grounds.

Insect nests

The pupils made insect habitats from hollowed out willow stems and bamboo canes. Simply tie a bundle together and put them around the garden to provide a habitat to attract insects.

Here is the insect habitat in situ in the school gardens.

Bird feeders

The pupils learned how to make bird feeders to hang around the garden using pine cones and coconut shells. Firstly, use some string to make a hanging device for the coconut or pine cone once you have finished. Next, get some bird seed and meal worms, add fat and mix together. Then fill the coconut shell or gaps in the pine cone with the mix and hang in the garden.

Bat boxes 

Mrs Grogan gave an interesting talk on bats and their behaviour and supplied us with another 4 bat boxes to make up and put in our school grounds.

Bushwhacked!

This week we have started to trim the bushes behind the CID area which have been left for so long that they have started to grow out of control. We are only trimming the bushes back to tidy it up because they will be home to a variety of insects, spiders, slugs, worms, snails - all species we found whilst doing the work. It was thoroughly tiring work and we all felt a little bushwhacked by the end of it!

Before - overgrown

During - hard at work!

 

After - room for the new bird table!

Wild thing!

Last November we developed a link with Simon Morris, a lecturer in horticulture, from the Isle of Wight College who agreed to help us develop a wild garden in the area behind C6 running along Upper St. James Street.

Mr Morris had planted these seedlings up at the college and this week he came in and planted them into the wild area with members of the Eco-schools working group, the Gardening club and Mr Wilkes.

The species planted were Daisy (Bellis perennis), Honesty (Lunaria annua), Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum), Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and Golden Rod (Solidago canadensis).

You can see the pattern of the planting in this schematic diagram below:

The British Statue of liberty?

This week we have taken delivery of our new bird table which will adorn the area just behind the CID centre when we have trimmed the existing bushes. Here we can see Mr Wilks recreating the pose which greets sailors as they enter New York harbour!

Biodiversity 2006-2007

Amazon World

We started the Summer Term in fine form as the girls from Amazon World came in to present an assemby on biodiversity and sustainability. They brought with them an armadillo called Pedro who, despite his interesting smell proved a hit with even the year 8 boys. The talk was very informative and covered climate change and endangered species and what the pupils could do to make a small difference themselves.

Developing the school grounds

Over the last 2 years we have done some work on biodiversity, ensuring that we do not use chemical pesticides and herbicides in the school grounds and developing the patio areas with planters and hanging baskets to provide flowers.

However, the bulk of our work has been in the planning all year and throughout this term will come to fruition as we develop the school grounds further working with Wight Wildlife and the Isle of Wight College to provide a wild area with various habitats including butterfly friendly plants and a log pile, bird and bat boxes for nesting around the school and a new bird table.