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Somerset Schools and Community Project 2007-2010 End of Project Report

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Somerset Schools and Community Project 2007-2010 End of Project Report Somerset Schools and Community Project 2007-2010 End of Project Report Summary The Somerset Schools & Community Project originated as a follow on project from the previous HLF funded Avalon Marshes Field Teaching Project. The project has been composed of two parts – Bird Friendly Schools (BFS), which aimed to take the interest shown by schools in the natural environment into the schools themselves and Community Events to enthuse and engage local people about the natural and man-made heritage of the Avalon Marshes. Volunteers were recruited across Somerset (including NE Somerset) and contact was made with more than 30% of primary schools in the area. All participating schools were linked with a local volunteer and received 3 visits from this volunteer during the year. Generally volunteers worked with a single class, but this varied with the most enthusiastic volunteers working with many classes in a single school. Volunteers Volunteers were recruited for the project from many different sources. After an initial ‘quiet period’ when few enquiries occurred, there has been a constant stream of people wanting to be involved. Press releases (local Press & RSPB Birds magazine), posters on Reserves (NE’s Shapwick Heath & RSPB’s Ham Wall & West Sedgemoor) and posters up at events gave us a strong team of volunteers to support our events. Direct Mailing of Somerset RSPB members was successful in recruiting the volunteers who wanted to visit schools. Volunteers have come from many different backgrounds. Many were former teachers or had worked in schools. The expertise and support these individuals were able to give the rest of the team helped contribute to the overall success of the project. Several volunteers were at the start of their career and they used the project as a way of gaining experience in public engagement roles. By the end of the project several of these volunteers had gained employment in the environment world - Anna Graham started as a BFS volunteer and admin assistant for the project and took over the project management for the final 5 months of the project. Alexia Hollinshead, who was also a BFS volunteer and admin assistant, gained employment from the RSPB at Arne Reserve and has since moved on to Public Affairs Officer (Visitors on Reserves) at RSPB’s regional office in Exeter. BFS volunteer Craig Burrows has since been working for the Somerset Wildlife Trust and Jo Collett has secured a contract with the Environment Agency. Other volunteers have become involved in other voluntary roles with both RSPB & Natural England. These have included practical conservation tasks (Suzie Fowler joined the Shapwick Heath Green Team), admin roles (Rebecca Wilcox helped with complex IT tasks), building and renovating the Avalon Marshes Lifelong Learning Centre (Neville Henderson & Stewart Gould) and species’ monitoring (Alison Mackenzie on Shapwick Heath). The expertise of the volunteer group were greatly enhanced by several professionals involved in the environmental world who were keen to develop links with Natural England & RSPB’s community work in Somerset – volunteers included Lucy Vincent, a director of Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and Stephen Moss producer and author for BBC Natural History Unit. By the end of the project a total of 55 volunteers had been recruited for working in schools and a further 92 individuals had participated in community project events. The total number of volunteer hours amounted to an incredible 6396.5 and the project could not have achieved this level of success without them. Resources, Training and School Visits Throughout the project regular ‘training events‘ were held for volunteers going into schools. These proved very popular and many volunteers used them as a networking opportunity to link with other volunteers in their areas. The training enabled a consistent approach to be adopted by all volunteers going into schools. Volunteers were equipped with full sets of BFS resources (see right) that had been previously ‘tried and tested’ with primary aged pupils – thus ensuring all visits were of a high quality. The wide range of different events that occurred during the project period meant that no specific training could be given to this group of volunteers. Generally new volunteers were linked with experienced ones when helping for the first time. Statistics The initial target for the project of 91 schools was achieved early in the second year. By the third year more than 30% of schools in Somerset had links with the project and most schools were involved for the entire three year period. Number of Schools involved – 122 Number of Bird Friendly School Volunteers – 55 Number of School Visits by Volunteers - 486 Number of Children engaged in Schools (many more at Events) – 5197 Total Volunteer Hours in Bird Friendly Schools – 3209 A staggering total of 41 large events (not including guided walks) have taken place over the three year period, which has enabled the vital engagement of thousands of children and their families in the area. Number of Volunteers involved in Events - 92 Total Volunteer Hours at Events – 3187.5 Community Events Wild Days Out (4 per year) - families bring their children along for a free day of wildlife themed games and activities based at the Avalon Marshes Centre e.g. Pond Dipping, Nature-themed Art and Trailer Rides onto Shapwick Heath NNR. Avalon 24 (annual) – 24 hours of guided walks across 5 nature reserves of the Avalon Marshes. Aimed at everyone from 1 to 101 encouraging them to get out and experience the rich natural and man-made heritage of the Avalon Marshes. Joint venture between RSPB, Natural England, Somerset Wildlife Trust (SWT) and The Hawk and Owl Trust. Avalon Marshes Open Day (annual) - families bring their children along for a free day of wildlife themed activities based at the Avalon Marshes Centre e.g. Puppet Shows, Story-telling and Willow Weaving. Joint venture between RSPB, Natural England, Somerset Wildlife Trust and The Hawk and Owl Trust. The Environment Agency also attended. School Days (2-4 per year) - 250 children in 2 nd year of project and 450 in 3 rd year so far. Local schools are invited to attend a day of nature themed workshops based at the Avalon Marshes Centre and on Shapwick Heath NNR. The project and Avalon Marshes Reserves have also been promoted at external events such as a Green Fair in the local town of Glastonbury. Avalon Marshes Wildlife Group A wildlife group has been set up for RSPB Wildlife Explorer and Wildlife Trust Watch Members in the area (youth membership for both organisations), although non-members are also welcome. The Group is jointly run by RSPB, Natural England and Somerset Wildlife Trust and aims to engage and enthuse youngsters and their families about their local environment, in particular the natural and man-made heritage of the Avalon Marshes. It is being lead by three representatives, one from each organisation and seven assistant leaders, who will run a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities throughout the year. Activities will be based partly at our Lifelong Learning Centre at the Avalon Marshes Centre and partly out on our National Nature Reserves of Ham Wall (RSPB), Shapwick Heath (NE) and Westhay Moor (SWT). The first meet in June 2010 was very successful with 45 people attending. The Group will continue to run following the end of the project. Local Media Links The events and Avalon Marshes Wildlife Group have benefitted greatly from the excellent and loyal media coverage of Glastonbury FM, which will continue to be involved in future promotion. RSPB Birds Magazine advertised the project including the Bird Friendly School and Event Volunteer Roles. Mendip Times , Central Somerset Gazette, Fosse Way Magazine and The Word have all played a part in advertising Avalon 24 and the Avalon Marshes Open Day. A monthly activity and competition called ‘Bird Brain’ has been started in local press : The Polden Post (read by 100s of villagers across the Polden Hills and The Bridge Magazine (read by the residents of Burrowbridge village). This is aimed at young families in order to engage and inform them of birds they are likely to see in their local area. This will continue to be run by a volunteer following the end of the p roject. Response from Volunteers , Schools and Event Participants The response from BFS v olunteers has been very positive; they have enjoyed their visits and benefitted greatly from the training . Many of the volunteers have also made a lasting and very positive impact on the children, teachers and in some cases entire schools: Frances Snelling (BFS Volunteer) – “They certa inly took the birdwatch to heart - Hilary took all the childrens’ certificates home to write in their names and there was a 'presentation' during school assembly next morning - so quite an occasion!” “I made my last visit to Wookey School yesterday, which went very well - they are a very keen school as a whole, not just 'my class' and have a wildlife area with pond etc which is being extended”. The response from schools has also been very positive with children continuing to count and watch the birds in t heir playgrounds (and indeed their gardens and local areas) throughout the year. S ome have even been inspired to become RSPB Wildlife Explorers. T eachers have also got a lot out of the experience: Danielle Teal (Year 5/6 Teacher at Burrowbridge Primary School) – “Thanks for coming into our school and working with the children they really enjoyed learning about all the different birds, I did too!” As a result of successful visits, some of the teachers are keen for volunteers to continue their links with the schools and many of the volunteers will do so in conjunction with the RSPB’s Great Crane Project.
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