Schools and Biodiversity
These pages have been designed to be used by teachers
and pupils to enable Worcestershire schools to investigate, learn
about and record the biodiversity in and around their school
grounds.
Learning about Biodiversity
A series of colourful educational factsheets have been produced for
schools to use. These will tell you about the different
species and habitats in Worcestershire's Biodiversity Action Plan
and give you some ideas and advice about creating more
wildlife-friendly habitats in your own school grounds.
Mapping Biodiversity
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The Parish Mapping project, involving the four first schools
within the Vision Mapping project area - Himbleton,
Feckenham, Hanbury and Stoke Prior - ended in July 2006. The
project was a huge success and involved the schools working with
artists and nature conservation staff to explore their local
community and natural environment.
Four fantastic pieces of artwork were produced and the whole
process was captured on DVD. If your school would like
to get inspired by watching what the Parish Mapping project got up
to please contact Rupert Brakspear, Education for Sustainable
Development Officer at Worcestershire County Council, on
01905 766378 or RBrakspear@worcestershire.gov.uk.
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The Open Air Laboratories Network (OPAL)
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The Natural History Museum's Open Air Laboratories network
co-ordinates survey activities every year into subjects such
as soil, air, biodiversity and climate change. Everyone who signs
up to take part in a survey receives instructions, identification
charts and all the other information you will need. Visit the
OPAL website
on to discover what surveys are currently taking place.
OPAL also sometimes have grants available for nature
projects - check the website for the latest news. |
Let the Grass Grow Long
We want to know about the grass in your school garden and
playing field and encourage schools to give just a little patch of
grass a reprieve from the mower and let it grow
long!
We have designed simple-to-use instruction sheets (available to
download below) on creating and looking after an area of long
grass, an ID key to some of the different plants that just might
come up in your new grassy wildlife garden, and a survey sheet to
record what you see.
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School Grounds Habitat Survey
Tell us what wildlife habitats you have in your school
grounds. You could carry out the survey by exploring the grounds
with your class, wildlife club, ECO-club or as an after school
activity.
You might even know your grounds well enough to do the survey
without going outside! You can fill in the survey online
straightaway by following the link below, or print out the form and
carry a copy outside with you, transferring your answers to the
computer later.
Access the
Online Habitat Survey recording form or download the
Printable Habitat Survey recording form  (13KB).
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Learning for Sustainability
Worcestershire County Council has a dedicated team who work
primarily with schools around the education for sustainable
development theme, including the EcoSchools and Sustainable Schools
programmes. Visit the Sustainability section for more
information.
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Documents
Interactive Maps
- Worcester Wildlife
Trust
Information about Worcestershire Wildlife Trust's
junior membership club and schools education programmes.
- Wildlife
Watch
Information about
the national junior membership club of The Wildlife Trusts.
- Nature
Detectives
The Woodland Trust run the Nature Detectives club for schools and
families.
We are not responsible for the content of external sites.
Read more
This page was last reviewed 25 April 2012 at 9:45.
The page is next due for review 22 October 2013.