Living outdoor dome drives school nature support

A new living outdoor area has sprung to life at a primary school to help local nature.

In a first for Denbighshire County Council’s Biodiversity and Countryside Service teams, supported by Ysgol y Faenol pupils, they have built a living willow dome at the school to help nature habitats at the site.

Pupils recently joined with representatives from both teams to plant over 1,000 trees on the school grounds to provide support for local nature and providing learning opportunities for themselves and future classes at Ysgol y Faenol.

This work is funded by the UK Government through the 2025/26 UK Shared Prosperity Fund which has granted Denbighshire County Council £278,600 for nature recovery works across the county.

Pupils joined council staff to build the willow dome as the final part of the new habitat creation on site.

The living dome will provide a sustainable structure which will be a useful resource for further green woodworking activities with the students and habitat for insects and birds and a natural area to promote learning about nature for the school.

Play time is also important for engaging children with nature this dome and willow tunnels will provide a resource to support this as well.

It will also provide a food source for the caterpillars of a number of moth species, which would be a food source for birds as well.

Willow roots will also help with soil stabilization and waterlogged ground, while fallen leaves can enrich the ground improving damp or boggy areas It will also provide an early important source of nectar for bees and other insects as spring arrives.

 Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity Champion, said: “This is a fantastic new addition to the school to help local nature and support learning about our natural habitats for the pupils at Ysgol y Faenol.”