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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!
October 2006
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.
In addition to the school grounds habitat survey, we want to know all about the grass in your school garden and playing field! We would like to 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
(449.80 KB)
Identification Key
(25.03 KB)
Survey form
(432.10 KB)
Worcestershire School Grounds Habitat Survey
Autumn 2005 onwards
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
(12.82 KB)
Learning about Biodiversity
A series of colourful educational factsheets about Worcestershire’s Biodiversity Action Plan species and habitats are available for schools to use.
List of species and habitats covered. Files are in pdf format.
Improving wildlife habitats in your school grounds
A series of factsheets is available to help you do something practical for wildlife in your school grounds.
What is available. Files are in pdf format.
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