2007 School Environmental Project winners

We judged five exciting environmental projects being run by schools alongside both pupils and their parents:

1st, 2nd & 3rd Prize winners received a set of young gardener sized garden tools kindly donated from the Gardener's Apprentice range by Joseph Bentley, presented at an awards ceremony at Upton House on 1st October.

This is how the schools described their projects to us:

1st Prize - Springdale First School, Broadstone

All around Springdale the children take a keen interest in gardening and growing their own flowers and vegetables.  Starting in Reception, planting their own hanging basket, the children are encouraged to enjoy their gardening. 

The Science Club's topic this year has been 'Recycling'; they have been looking at different ways of using 'recycled' seeds, compost and containers to grow their vegetables and flowers.  They have planted seeds collected last Autumn in compost made from the fruit peel and cores collected each day after 'Fruit Time'.  They have adapted various containers to use for their planting.  The children are now watching and maintaining the containers, awaiting the produce!

Entered by Mrs K Gillis and Mrs I Evans

2nd Prize - Lilliput First School, Lilliput

Throughout the year we have had children & parent working parties transforming an old and unused pond area into a fantastic new bog garden - full of natural wild flowers.  We have a small study area and viewing platform/bridge.

Entered by Mrs Michelle Smith

What Mrs Smith doesn't mention is that the community have also helped develop the bog garden and that more than 11 tonnes of soil had to moved to achieve it!  A vegetable garden and butterfly garden have also been created, maintained by the children.  We were also very impressed with the project file that has been kept.

Entered by Mrs Anne-Marie Pingarelli & Mrs Ziggy Osborne

We found the children very involved in these projects, and their teachers very enthusiastic.  It was encouraging to discover that parents will be watering the gardens, pots and baskets during the school summer holidays.

Runners Up - Heatherlands First School, Parkstone

At Heatherlands we run a Gardening Club which meets once a week to - amongst other things - plant vegetables, flowers and herbs, and tend the plants.  We have a pond, and recycle our own fruit peelings into compost.  We also have a nature trail which we created several years ago and which we are hoping to develop into a haven for wildlife.

We are a very active school when it comes to the outside environment but are always looking for new ideas to enhance our grounds; our hope for the future is that we can share it more with the local community.

Entered by Miss Sarah Plumb

Runners Up - Longspee Satellite School, Parkstone

We are growing carrots, lettuce, potatoes in tyres, corn, onions, garlic.  The squirrel is a problem and it is bad.  We have a compost we put fruit in it because it makes soil. 

We have a recycle bin for plastic with 1,2,3 but not 4,5 or 6, paper and bottles.  So we have to look on the plastic for 1,2,3.

Composed and written by Bailey and Lewis

We were very impressed by Bailey when we visited Longspee - he explained to us about carrot flies, and how by 'companion planting' with shallots alongside them they keep the flies away without the use of insecticide.

Congratulations to all our entries.  Keep up the good work!