20200123_103217
Keep Wales Tidy Received funding from Postcode Local Trust to help 2 schools to improve their school grounds for Biodiversity and for educational purposes. These pictures are about the part with Maendy Primary School in Cwmbran, Torfaen. This was planned and delivered by Chris Partridge and Thom Board.
The school were interested in having an orchard, some more wildflowers and they wanted access to their overgrown made safe by replacing the rotted fence. They were interested in building a SuDS platform which was based around their 0 and x's board we made the previous year, but they wanted to have a chessboard and this could be in a dark and very wet unused area of their school grounds near to the forest schools area and pond. We only do these types of activities with schools if the children are fully behind the planning and building of these so they have maximum ownership of everything.
We started with the pond fence, removal was too much for the children, so staff organised a parent's day. This was lovely seeing so many parents join in with their children and grandchildren to take down the fence, stack it carefully and then put in the new one. The old one was made of good sized wood but the ground is so wet that it had rotten away in around 10-12 years. The new fence is guaranteed for 20 years and expected to last 30-45.
Thom then planted some bluebells, snowdrops and wood anemone in and around the log circle area, while a start was made on the frame for the chessboard. The children had to measure the area of the plastic paving and see if the sleepers could fit around it. They then had to measure 2 of the sleepers, which were cut in half. These were then all placed in a square and the children screwed all of the frames together using a variety of cordless handtools. Over a few Thursdays, the children then filled up the insides of the frame with a sub-base by hand using wheelbarrows they assembled themselves. This was then leveled off. A group them marked on the sleepers the edge boundaries of the inner plastic chessboard, so that the chessboard would be in the center of the frame. A thin layer of stone was added to the sub-base and raked flat. The frame was then added onto the stones in the right place. Over 2 sessions, white and black stones were carefully added to each grid alternatively to give the chessboard effect. This was compacted down and on the last session all of the giant chess pieces were filled with stone, sealed and placed on the board for the final group of 8 pupil's had the privilege of the School's first game of chess. Lunchtime came and it ended in a draw. It was really lovely on the final session for the whole class to come out and see what they had all contributed to. It was very easy to see how proud everyone was of this achievement. It could have been done in 2-3 days with contractors and machines, but where's the fun and ownership in that? Mr. Morgan promised that when the weather improves, he'll teach them all how to play chess.
The School's Eco-Committee were given a list of fruit trees from us via the local Garden Centre and they selected 12 of them. These were purchased and delivered and on one Thursday, Thom and some of the pupils planted the orchard at the far end of the school with some peat free compost and nutrients to help them to grow.
The rain just didn't seem to lessen and we delayed and delayed the wildflower seed sowing. We decided that it would be best for Thom to do this part himself to limit the amount of damage to the adjacent grass which which be made by a load of children (see pond fence pics).
The school have a whole load of exciting books and equipment which will help them to explore, monitor and look after all the biodiversity improvements. All of this is thanks to the Postcode Local Trust and players of the Postcode Lottery.
20200123_103217
Keep Wales Tidy Received funding from Postcode Local Trust to help 2 schools to improve their school grounds for Biodiversity and for educational purposes. These pictures are about the part with Maendy Primary School in Cwmbran, Torfaen. This was planned and delivered by Chris Partridge and Thom Board.
The school were interested in having an orchard, some more wildflowers and they wanted access to their overgrown made safe by replacing the rotted fence. They were interested in building a SuDS platform which was based around their 0 and x's board we made the previous year, but they wanted to have a chessboard and this could be in a dark and very wet unused area of their school grounds near to the forest schools area and pond. We only do these types of activities with schools if the children are fully behind the planning and building of these so they have maximum ownership of everything.
We started with the pond fence, removal was too much for the children, so staff organised a parent's day. This was lovely seeing so many parents join in with their children and grandchildren to take down the fence, stack it carefully and then put in the new one. The old one was made of good sized wood but the ground is so wet that it had rotten away in around 10-12 years. The new fence is guaranteed for 20 years and expected to last 30-45.
Thom then planted some bluebells, snowdrops and wood anemone in and around the log circle area, while a start was made on the frame for the chessboard. The children had to measure the area of the plastic paving and see if the sleepers could fit around it. They then had to measure 2 of the sleepers, which were cut in half. These were then all placed in a square and the children screwed all of the frames together using a variety of cordless handtools. Over a few Thursdays, the children then filled up the insides of the frame with a sub-base by hand using wheelbarrows they assembled themselves. This was then leveled off. A group them marked on the sleepers the edge boundaries of the inner plastic chessboard, so that the chessboard would be in the center of the frame. A thin layer of stone was added to the sub-base and raked flat. The frame was then added onto the stones in the right place. Over 2 sessions, white and black stones were carefully added to each grid alternatively to give the chessboard effect. This was compacted down and on the last session all of the giant chess pieces were filled with stone, sealed and placed on the board for the final group of 8 pupil's had the privilege of the School's first game of chess. Lunchtime came and it ended in a draw. It was really lovely on the final session for the whole class to come out and see what they had all contributed to. It was very easy to see how proud everyone was of this achievement. It could have been done in 2-3 days with contractors and machines, but where's the fun and ownership in that? Mr. Morgan promised that when the weather improves, he'll teach them all how to play chess.
The School's Eco-Committee were given a list of fruit trees from us via the local Garden Centre and they selected 12 of them. These were purchased and delivered and on one Thursday, Thom and some of the pupils planted the orchard at the far end of the school with some peat free compost and nutrients to help them to grow.
The rain just didn't seem to lessen and we delayed and delayed the wildflower seed sowing. We decided that it would be best for Thom to do this part himself to limit the amount of damage to the adjacent grass which which be made by a load of children (see pond fence pics).
The school have a whole load of exciting books and equipment which will help them to explore, monitor and look after all the biodiversity improvements. All of this is thanks to the Postcode Local Trust and players of the Postcode Lottery.