A new woodland copse and wildflower meadows are being created at Brighstone Primary School for the Queen’s Green Canopy - thanks to a grant from Wightlink’s Green Fund for Schools and the Woodland Trust’s Free Trees for Schools initiative.
At the start of the academic year, the school’s eco-committee identified increasing biodiversity in the school grounds as a top priority for the year ahead and looked at different ways in which this could be achieved.
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With help from the school’s gardening club, wildflower seeds were sown around the playing field to create a floral bee border, with native plug plants due to be added later this month.
In addition, a chalk downland wildflower mini habitat is being planted along with a contrasting heathland flower habitat to replicate the flowers found on Brighstone Down.
Children from Year 6 and Year 3 worked hard to plant native wild cherry, silver birch and rowan trees at the side of the school’s playing field, which in time will provide food and shelter for birds and small animals.
The trees were given a good start with some local compost kindly supplied at a discounted rate by Isle of Wight Compost.
Eco-committee Leader Fiona Johnstone said: “The children are very aware of the importance of looking after the environment and our eco-committee has planned a number of practical activities to increase the biodiversity of the school grounds.”
Headteacher Rebecca Lennon said: “Thanks to the grant from Wightlink, trees from the Woodland Trust and help from Isle of Wight Compost, the children have made a really good start in transforming the school grounds, which I know they will enjoy studying as the plants bloom and birds and insects are attracted to the new habitats.”
Some of the Isle of Wight's Queen's Green Canopy projects have been featured in our beautiful 116 page commemorative publication.
Wightlink chief executive Keith Greenfield said: “The aim of the Green Fund for Schools is to tap into the enthusiasm that is abundant in the Island’s primary schools and assist projects that will have a lasting effect on the local environment. We are delighted to have been part of this fantastic project at Brighstone.”
The school will also be making use of Wightlink’s £660 grant to renovate the school’s vegetable garden and install a new tumbling compost bin.
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