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Biodiversity for Schools

Welcome!

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. Just look at all the things you could do!

Inspiration for school projects - The Parish Mapping Project

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, which is now available for viewing. 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.

Surveys to take part in...

NEW Soil and Earthworm Survey

Help to find out more about a garden creature that is essential to the health of our soils, yet largely remains a mystery. There are 26 species of earthworms in Britain, of which about 15 are common, but virtually nothing is known about where they live and the types of soils they prefer.

This survey is co-ordinated by the Natural History Museum's Open Air Laboratories network, which carries out research into subjects such as soil, air, biodiversity and climate change.

Those who take part in the earthworm survey will receive full instructions including a free identification chart and a sachet of mustard - essential equipment for getting worms to come to the surface!

Other ways to look at earthworms include digging a pit and sifting through the removed soil and also looking in compost heaps, among leaves and under fallen branches. You can enter results straight onto the survey website, where they will be added to an interactive map showing population distributions and soil types.

The survey starts in March 2009 and you can register for a survey pack by visiting the OPAL website.

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 reprive from the mower and let it grow long! We have designed simple-to-use instruction sheets 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. Don't forget to record all the minibeasts too!

Letting the grass grow long instruction sheet This is a link to a PDF file. (449.80 KB)

Identification Key This is a link to a PDF file. (25.03 KB)

Survey form This is a link to a PDF file. (432.10 KB)

School Grounds Habitat Survey

We want to know 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, or print out the form and carry a copy outside with you, transferring your answers to the computer later. Have fun!

Online Habitat Survey recording form

Printable Habitat Survey recording form This is a link to a PDF file. (12.82 KB)

Resources available for you...

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.

Learning about Biodiversity

A series of colourful educational factsheets about Worcestershire’s Biodiversity Action Plan species and habitats are available for schools to use.

Improving wildlife habitats in your school grounds

A series of 'how to' factsheets is available to help you do something practical for wildlife in your school grounds.

More information about nature and wildlife

Many other organisations can help you in learning about wildlife or improving your school grounds for wildlife. Take a look at the following websites.

	www.bishopswoodcentre.org.uk/schools/schgrounds for information and support on creating wildlife habitats and eco-friendly play areas in your school grounds.
	www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk for information about Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s junior membership club and schools education programmes.
	www.wildlifewatch.org.uk for information about the national junior membership club of The Wildlife Trusts.
	www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/autumnwatch or /springwatch to take part in the BBC’s Autumnwatch and Springwatch surveys

Last modified by: Web Team on: Fri Mar 27 2009 15:29:42