Welcome to the third Avon Wildlife Trust e-newsletter. Summer is here so we are focusing upon butterflies and wild flowers. There are some new free resources that you can use in your school as well as links to some of the activities we offer for schools.
We hope you are finding our new schools website useful. Visit www.wildschools.org.uk for more resources and discover more about the ways in which Avon Wildlife Trust can work with you.
School and community news
New butterfly garden in Totterdown
Avon Wildlife Trust recently completed a butterfly garden in the park opposite Hillcrest Primary School with an environmental education event for Year 2s. TRESA (Totterdown Residents Association) secured a grant to help improve this under-used area.
Fluttering around
Twenty five children and their families discovered painted lady butterflies, originally from North Africa, at a Brilliant Butterflies event on Clifton Down. They also saw many common blue butterflies whose caterpillars depend on the abundance of bird's foot trefoil plants that can be found there.
Wildlife hunt
Pupils from St Michael's (Winterbourne) and Silverhill (Stoke Gifford) schools had fun learning about wildlife by taking part in mammal and moth trapping, butterfly spotting and pond dipping in the grounds of the AXA Life head office, near Bristol Parkway. Celia Arberry from AXA said, “The Avon Wildlife Trust did a great job interacting with the children and giving them hands-on experience in identifying wildlife. The findings will help us to gauge how we can improve the biodiversity of the AXA Centre."
Fire fighters help fill eco school pond
Fire fighters from Radstock Fire Station helped Westfield Primary School fill their new wildlife pond with water. Julie Doherty from Avon Wildlife Trust managed the project which has helped the school achieve its Silver Eco Schools status.
Free resources
Here are some tried and tested resources that you can use in the classroom, or ideally outside. Just click the link to download a PDF for each activity.
Butterfly Garden
Attract butterflies and other insects to your school grounds or help make a neglected area more attractive. You can plant over the summer to attract butterflies throughout the rest of the year.
Download
Nature Palette
A creative way of exploring and recording the variety of colours found in nature.
Download
Butterfly Bonanza Game
Engage children in a group game which demonstrates the specific relationship between butterfly species and wildflowers.
Download
Avon Wildlife Trust Schools Services
Avon Wildlife Trust has over twenty years of experience of working with school children of all ages. Our educational programmes are designed to support specific areas of the national curriculum and are built around specific Key Stage targets. We offer three types of services for schools.
School trips
Both folly Farm and Willsbridge Mill offer The Very Hungry Caterpillar for children to discover how caterpillars becomes beautiful butterflies. Willsbridge also offers Natural Art which includes the nature palette activity included as a free resource.
Go to Folly Farm
Go to Willsbridge Mill
Autumn term - Special offer
Become Woodland Detectives and enjoy a special day at Willsbridge Mill to investigate autumn leaf colour, fruits and seeds, tree identity and shelter building. (£5.50 per student for groups of 30 or over; or a minimum charge of £165. Prices exclude VAT).
Details
Environmental activity days
Butterfly, bee and wildflower studies are a great way for children to learn outside and contribute to many aspects of their learning. Our team of education experts can develop tailor made activities in either your school grounds or a nearby nature reserve.
Details
School grounds improvements
Help turn your school grounds in to a mini nature reserve and fantastic educational resource for the whole school. We've created wildflower meadows and butterfly gardens, often involving children in the creation of a new area alive with wildlife.
Details
Contact
schools@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk
Tel: 0117 917 7270
Avon Wildlife Trust - Charity No. 280422
If you would like to join our email list or send us your wildlife news, please email: schools@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk with JOIN or NEWS in the subject field. The e-newsletter will be sent out twice each term so please circulate it to colleagues who may find it useful.