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School grounds can provide important sanctuaries for wildlife and at the same time provide some excellent opportunities for engaging pupils with the natural world through the curriculum. In fact the more you develop your grounds for wildlife the greater the opportunities for teaching.
 

I cultivated my own wildlife interests as a child largely from the animals I found in and around my garden. In primary school and later in secondary school I formed a nature club and the school grounds provided us with lots of opportunity for studying nature up close and personal.

 

So its probably not a surprise to hear that school grounds have long been an interest in mine as opprotunities for children to see wildlife upclose but also to grasp a basic ecology by observing and experiencing the natural world in their grounds thoughout the year. As Education Officer at a public aquarium in 1986 I first worked with schools grounds development helping to set up wildlife ponds and establish pond amphibian colonies.

Developing school grounds and teaching do not have to be seperate things. School grounds development can easily be integrated into outdoor learning. You can use wildlife and habitat studies (for example) to discover the species that visit your grounds, why and how they use the grounds. This information can then also be used to help you develop your grounds, the placement of bird feeders, water, bee garden etc.

 

 

But it doesn’t have to stop there. The following year the outdoor learning can include an investigation of the new development to access how successful it was at attracting birds, or bees etc. If it was not successful, why not and how can it be changed?

A study of birds and how they travel around your grounds can help indicate good location for placement of bird feeders or a nest box. Or you might discover you have few bees in your grounds and want to encourage more bees.

It goes without saying that the more you develop your grounds the more outdoor learning opportunities you create. However, the more you use the grounds for outdoor learning the more information you gather that can help you further develop your grounds both for wildlife and as ateaching resource.

 

Its very much a circular process.

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July 12, 20230
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