Pupils extend support for nature at school grounds

Primary school pupils have created a new habitat area at their school to extend a helping hand to local nature.

Forty Ysgol Llanfair DC pupils, from year three, four, five and six, recently rolled up their sleeves to create a new wildflower meadow at the school.

The new development follows work at the school by pupils, Denbighshire County Council’s Biodiversity team and North Wales Wildlife Trust (NWWT) that saw around 90 metres of mainly hornbeam hedge planted on site to help benefit of the UK's largest finch, the Hawfinch.

A small woodland was also planted on the site, alongside 12 fruit trees and a small coppice coop. Altogether, this work created habitats containing 624 new trees around its grounds.

Ysgol Llanfair DC’s new wildflower meadow has been created using the whole green area around the school carpark.

Pupils with the help of the Council’s Biodiversity team planted 300 plants which will help provide a source of food for insects such as bees. These included field scabious, red campion, selfheal, Oxeye daisy, Cat's-ear, wild carrot, bird's-foot trefoil, foxglove, knapweed, meadow buttercup and meadow vetchling.

The plants came both from the Council’s tree nursery at St Asaph and the Woodland Skills Centre at Bodfari.

Biodiversity Officer, Ellie Wainwright, said: “It was great to be back at Ysgol Llanfair DC as the pupils and staff are so passionate about supporting local nature. The enthusiasm of the pupils to create this new wildflower meadow was brilliant and thanks to their hard work this habitat along with the woodland and hedge areas we created before will really provide a sanctuary for nature here that the children can also learn from.”

Headteacher, Geraint Rowe, said: "The partnership that the school has developed with the Biodiversity Team at Denbighshire is one which is enriching the habitats of the school grounds along with giving the children great active opportunities to have a positive impact on enhancing the biodiversity and nature. This along with other partnerships will create a legacy for the environment and pupils appreciation on how they can make a difference. We will look forward to seeing the flowers bloom."

Emlyn Jones, Denbighshire County Council’s Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services, said: It’s great that these children have had the opportunity to learn about all the benefits a wildflower meadow can bring through our Biodiversity team and well done to them all for rolling up their sleeves to help plant such an important asset for supporting their local nature.