Last week, I mentioned the new job I have starting in January 2103. Part of this role, at a large junior school on the outskirts of Nuneaton, will be driving both the development and the use of a new ‘Wild Learning’ area in the school grounds. You will be hearing a lot more about this very exciting project in the coming months as I will be building a website dedicated to its development. In the meanwhile, I just had to post a few pictures from an exciting day on Monday, when work on the area began. Some time ago, a small pond had been dug and a decking area created. The area is pretty big and at one end of the school field, with a mature hedgerow down one side and some nice mature trees.
The plan I have drawn up for the area include a much bigger and more wildlife friendly pond with a boggy area, and work began on that this week. Severn Trent are helping out with the work and doing all the landscaping for us. They turned up with a team and a very skilled digger operator who manipulated the digger spade as if it was an extension of himself! Such precision and care … it was amazing to watch and it was not long before my plans were starting to be realised right in front of my eyes!!
I got some year 6 children to come out and do a bit of filming of the proceedings with their iPads….. they were very excited and I encouraged them to think of some good camera angles to go for… they knelt down low in front of the bucket and got some great shots!
The team worked hard and managed to dig the whole pond and started to excavate the paths and work areas as well… it’s going to be amazing!
Next week, all the paths and work areas will be edged and the pond lined. The following week, the paths will be lined and filled with recycled tyre chippings.
I will be sharing my plans and ideas for this area in the purpose-built website over Christmas, but hopefully this has given you a little flavour of what is to come!