OKEHAMPTON primary school could soon be registered as one of the country?s ?Eco Schools?. Staff and pupils have been busy over the last school year making the school a greener place to work and play, and improving its new environment area. Last August, work on the area began in earnest when a mini digger arrived to clear out the choked pond area and puddle clay for the new pond. The following month, with the start of the new school year, ?Wildlife Watch Enrichment Afternoons? commenced for children in years one, two, three and four, during which they were able to watch as the pond filled up and wildlife moved in. In February, the environment area was properly fenced, and in March, Wildlife Watch Environment Day took place when the children helped to lay hedges, create three raised allotment beds, construct two willow structures, and collect litter in the area. April saw marginal plants planted around the pond and weeds cleared away by members of the school?s ?Watch Group?, as well as the start of ?Forest School? in the environment area. In May, two state of the art compost bins arrived, which are now being used by the nursery and year one children. In June, the hard work put in by pupils and staff was rewarded, when the school was awarded £9,351 from the National Lottery Breathing Places campaign, to fund further improvements to the environment area. And this month, 20 children from year five visited Okehampton College to make a variety of bird boxes to be erected in the grounds at the school. Besides all the work on its environment area, the school also installed ?water hippos? earlier this year in all suitable toilets, to save water on each flush and in April it had a waste audit carried out by Global Action Plan. Headmaster at the school Brian Cunningham said: ?It has been a busy and productive year and next year promises to be the same!? As it works towards eco school status next year, the school will be aiming to decrease its food and paper waste, and further increase the diversity of wildlife in the environment area. Mr Cunningham said: ?Our children will be given opportunities to become more involved with the practical tasks involved in making these improvements, thereby encouraging a sense of responsibility and ownership.? The eco schools project is run by ENCAMS which also runs the ?Keep Britain Tidy? campaign. Since the project began around 7,500 schools around Great Britain have registered to take part at a rate of approximately 300 each month.
