Last call for West Midlands schools to enter wildlife competition
15 June 2010
Schools in the West Midlands have until 9 July to enter for Natural England’s Big Wildlife Garden competition to create wildlife friendly gardens or greenspace in their area.
The competition is part of Natural England’s Big Wildlife Garden initiative to create the largest virtual wildlife reserve in the country and since the website’s launch in September 2009 it has reached over 30,000 children from over 1,000 schools, getting young people outdoors and creating wildlife friendly gardens.
Over half the schools registered on the site are already competing for the Big Wildlife Garden School of the Year and the race is on, with just over three weeks to go for others to enter. One of the early successes was a school in Halesowen. Lutley Primary School, one of the largest primaries in the borough of Dudley, near Birmingham, registered with Natural England’s Big Wildlife Garden website earlier in the year and has already scooped its highest honour - the Green Garden Award-for their achievements.
Wildlife-friendly improvements could include creating a wildflower meadow, building a pond or installing nests for bumble-bees, whatever it takes to collect enough points to reach the Gold or Green Award level. Your school may already have what it takes to qualify or a few simple steps could put you in the running for this prestigious award.
Andrew Hearle from Natural England West Midlands said:
“It is really important to get young people outside enjoying and understanding our natural environment. This year is the International Year of Biodiversity, so it is especially topical to be learning about the fragility of our biodiversity and the help that gardening for wildlife can give to both plants and animals. Species in decline such as hedgehogs, holly blue butterflies, song thrushes, bumble bees and stag beetles will all benefit from the smallest local wildlife oases.”
Entries to the ‘Big Wildlife Garden, School of the Year’ competition close on 9 July 2010
ENTER NOW AT: www.bwg.naturalengland.org.uk/news/show/2
Help create the biggest virtual wildlife reserve in the country by signing up to Natural England’s Big Wildlife Garden.
For events across the UK during the International Year of Biodiversity go to: www.biodiversityislife.net
For press information contact: Judie Kellie on 01299 896 555/ 07973 744161 judie@jkpr.co.uk or Dean Gallen on Dean.G.Gallen@naturalengland.org.uk
-ends-
Notes to editors:
- The Big Wildlife Garden is part of Natural England’s ‘One Million Children Outdoors’ programme which launched in April 2009. By summer, children all over the country were taking part in free outdoor activities all over England associated with this campaign: www.naturalengland.org.uk/millionchildren.
- The Big Wildlife Garden web site is free for anyone of any age to join and is open to individuals, schools or community groups. They will be able to share ideas and pictures with other members of the Big Wildlife Garden and keep their own online wildlife diary. All content on the web site is fully monitored by Natural England before it is viewable by other web users.
- Having teamed up with Echo-schools to encourage wildlife friendly gardening, The Big Wildlife Garden is also now engaging over 13,000 schools through the Eco-Schools biodiversity programme.
About Natural England
Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
- We establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
- We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.
- We run England’s Environmental Stewardship green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.
- We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats.
- We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.
