Big Wildlife Garden competition to find the best school garden in England

(02/06/2010)

Natural England is working with schools to encourage wildlife friendly gardening this Summer with the Big Wildlife Garden - a budding wildlife friendly gardening website. Since the website’s launch in September 2009 it has reached over 30,000 children from over 1,000 schools, getting kids outdoors and creating wildlife friendly gardens across the country.

So far over half of these schools are taking part in a competition to find the best school garden in England. The competition is well underway and it is time to get the trowels out for the final touches in the race to the finish line.

Schools have until 9 July 2010 to make as many wildlife-friendly improvements as possible to their garden or green space. Children can create a wildflower meadow, build a pond and install nests for bumble bees – whatever it takes to collect enough points to reach the Gold or Green Award level. Your school may already have what it takes to qualify - does your garden have any attractive, innovative features or an array of flowers and plantlife? A few simple steps could put you in the running for this prestigious garden award.

Poul Christensen, Chair of Natural England, said: “The number of schools we have engaged through the Big Wildlife Garden is really encouraging. Bringing education outdoors to promote wildlife friendly gardening not only gets kids outside, enjoying the fresh air and learning about the importance of our natural environment, it provides much needed support for biodiversity. Gardening in a wildlife-friendly way can considerably increase the diversity of plants and animals and create an oasis for species in decline such as hedgehogs, holly blue butterflies, song thrushes, bumble bees and stag beetles.”

Poul Christensen continued: “The Big Wildlife Garden aims to inspire children to enjoy the natural world and learn how to enrich outdoor spaces. Natural England’s Big Wildlife Garden website is the perfect place for children to learn how to invite wildlife into even the most humble garden this Summer.”

Related categories:  Kids and children   School learning and education 

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