Somerset Wildlife Trust SOMERSET Greening your grounds A guide to making the best of your school grounds for children and for nature Somerset Wildlife Trust School Grounds Information Pack Protecting Wildlife for the Future Somerset Wildlife Trust SOMERSET Contents Getting Started Know what’s there Site design Action plan Habitat Creation Ponds Meadows Woodland Habitat Management Ponds Meadows Woodland Species Management Butterflies Birds Bats Simple Measures Mini habitats Planting trees and shrubs Hedgerows Sustainability Site Facilities Paths and steps Fences Walls, Seats and Signs Useful Information Further information Contacts and suppliers Information correct at time of going to press (November 2007) E&OE. © Somerset Wildlife Trust SWT would like to thank everyone who generously allowed us to use their photographs in this publication Photo: Richard Burkmar www.brianphipps.net Protecting Wildlife for the Future Somerset Wildlife Trust Introduction SOMERSET The traditional view of school grounds is simply as a place for children to let off steam but it is now becoming more widely accepted that school grounds could offer much, much more. It is increasingly recognised that there are real health, wellbeing and educational benefits to be gained from the presence of natural spaces in school grounds. Not to mention the additional benefits to be gained simply from children being active in the outdoor environment, engaging in activities such as gardening. Indeed school grounds can provide “uniquely rich and rewarding learning experiences for children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, giving them a greater understanding of the world around them” (Education Minister, Stephen Twigg 2003). One increasingly popular way of transforming school grounds into nurturing, life enhancing places is by creating a wildlife area. This pack is full of ideas to help you make the best of your school grounds for wildlife, whether you are thinking of creating a dedicated wildlife area, are just looking for a few ideas or already have a wildlife area that has become messy and overgrown. Even if it is not possible for you to set aside a whole dedicated area for wildlife, there are still a number of simple measures that may be adopted that will not only be of benefit to your children but also to biodiversity. Using this Pack This pack aims to guide you through the various stages of planning a wildlife area, creating new habitats and subsequently managing them, things you can do to benefit certain species and things you can do if you only have limited time or space available. At the end there is also a section with further information and advice, such as a list of some useful publications and contacts and the Wildlife Watch Health and Safety fact sheet. Before you do anything, take a little time to read and reflect on what you have been sent. If you are intending to use this pack outdoors you may find it helpful to laminate the pages so they are waterproof. Protecting Wildlife for the Future Somerset Wildlife Trust Introduction SOMERSET One key message for anyone hoping to improve their school grounds for children and wildlife alike is that the most successful projects always involve the pupils at the very beginning and then continue to do so through every stage of the process. The only limits are the practical considerations set out in the pack and their imaginations! Remember it is advisable to engage with other key stakeholders at an early stage, such as the school governors, other staff members and parents. Such people may be able to bring expertise to your project and the chances of sustaining the grounds in future are greatly enhanced if people feel ownership of the project. It is also imperative that if you are thinking of changing your school grounds you contact the Property Services team at Somerset County Council to discuss any alterations prior to implementation (see ‘Contacts’ section). Whatever you decide to do, it is important to remember that the most successful projects start small, so be careful not to take on too much. We have kept the information as simple as possible so that everyone can get involved. If you need further advice, please contact the Somerset Wildlife Trust and someone will try to help. The other organisations listed in the ‘Contacts’ section may also be happy to help. On completion of your wildlife area why not contact the Education Team at the Somerset Wildlife Trust. They will be more than happy to provide suggested curriculum links to help you use your new grounds to their full extent and may be able to come out and provide school-based training in your new wildlife area. Good luck with your project! Protecting Wildlife for the Future Somerset Wildlife Trust Know what’s there SOMERSET Before you start work on the design of your project it is essential to find out what you already have in your site. It can also be useful to get to know the local landscape or townscape and the wildlife it supports with a view to complementing that. The Somerset Environmental Records Centre may be able to provide you with information regarding the wildlife in your local area (see ‘Contacts’ section). Remember that it is important to be realistic about the wildlife that might be attracted to your site; however it is equally important to remember that this does not mean it is not worth trying, as whatever wildlife you do attract will almost certainly make your site valuable for your children. Following these initial steps you will need to come up with a site design but you will find this much easier if you already have some detailed background information about your grounds. This will also help you decide on the most appropriate location for your wildlife area. This background research can be a fun and educational exercise for the children to do. They will need to find out about a number of key things within your site: 1 Wildlife and habitats (e.g. trees, ponds) 2 Man-made features (e.g. paths, steps) 3 Difficulties or problems (e.g. litter, bramble invasion) 4 How the site has been used in the past 5 Restrictions on your site (e.g. underground cables) You will be able to find out about most of these things by conducting a survey and you should note your findings on a site map. Photo: Richard Burkmar Wildlife and Habitats The first step in finding out about the wildlife is to divide the site into different areas according to the type of habitat present (e.g. woodland, hedge, meadow, stream or pond). An example checklist has been provided over the page. Once you have done this, you should try to list down the plants and animals found in each area. Mark down on your map what you feel is the most important feature of each habitat. For example ash woodland or cowslip meadow (for help with identification, see ‘Further Information’ section). Man-made features Man-made features such as walls, fences, paths and seats affect the way you will look after your site. They should be added to your map. Difficulties or Problems Look for any potential ‘problems’ that will affect the way you are going to look after your site. There are usually two types of problem: 1 Problems caused by nature – Most valuable natural features need some form of care or management to keep their existing value to wildlife. This is because any area that is left alone will tend to develop into woodland through the process of succession. If you want features other than woodland, you will have to control this natural process by active management. Look for where this is happening and note it on your map. For example, if you have a wildlife area that has not been managed for sometime, the meadow may be threatened by the growth of bramble or the pond may be becoming choked by reeds and rushes. Protecting Wildlife for the Future Somerset Wildlife Trust SOMERSET 2 Problems caused by people – Problems caused by people such as broken fences, worn paths, litter and erosion are usually easier to notice. Note what is happening and mark it down on you map. Investigating Past Use and History It is useful to try to find out about the history of your site as this will often influence what work needs to be done. Although most school grounds will have been purpose built, some may have been created from old meadows, in which case there may still be a good seed bank in the soil. Or, in existing wildlife areas, a pond may have dried out because of a break in the liner, or a meadow may be covered in bramble because it has not been cut. It is worth pointing out at this stage that a Photo: Richard Burkmar little ‘neglect’ is often not a bad thing. In fact such areas may play host to a wealth of different species. It may be that what is at first glance apparently neglected will only require a minimal amount of management to make it appear less neglected and therefore more pleasing to the tidy minded eye, whilst maintaining a high value for wildlife. Checking for Restrictions It is important to check what restrictions exist on your site such as overhead electricity or telephone lines, land drains, sewage pipes or underground pipes for gas or water supply etc. Details should be available from your local district council planning department (see ‘Contacts’ section), or the local offices of the relevant electricity or gas company. Add these restrictions to your map to ensure they are taken into account in planning the site layout.