Pupils at a Carlisle primary school have been helping to create a pond to help wildlife and their own education.
Youngsters at St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School in Botcherby, spent six weeks creating a wildlife pond in the school grounds.
Led by headteacher Sarah Hutchinson and working with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, they have improved their grounds not just for wildlife but for the pupils as well. The pond is a huge asset for the school’s outdoor learning area, which has been set up to give pupils access to nature.
The pond at St Cuthbert’s is part of Nextdoor Nature, a £5million project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to leave a legacy for the Queen’s platinum jubilee.
The aim is to improve nature and wildlife in the areas where people live, and encourages them to take an interest in the natural world. St Cuthbert’s joined the project in May with four other schools in Carlisle.
Mrs Hutchinson was immediately keen to build a pond and get the children involved. Year six children led the project, researching native British plants, the cost of materials and the key features that will help nature thrive, and then created their own designs. They then spent weeks digging the pond and doing the groundwork, to make sure the project was successful, with a bit of help from pupils in the other classes.
The children worked with Ruth Alcroft, Education Officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
Ruth said: “I’m really proud of the work done by all the pupils at St Cuthbert’s in creating this pond. The designs by the children are brilliant for providing a home for pond life, which in turn will bring more wildlife to this part of Botcherby. They listened really well and took on board advice about creating shallow areas so wildlife can get into the water and easily escape if needs be, and they chose a range of plants to keep the water healthy. I can’t wait to see the water lilies bloom!”
Mrs Hutchison added: “They were so proud of their achievements and have left the other children in school an amazing feature for them to use for pond dipping and other scientific enquiries.”
