MORE THAN 100 pupils from Coventry’s Romero Catholic Academy dug deep to plant a multi-species forest as part of an eco day to educate youngsters about the environment.
Year five and six children from the academy, which comprises seven Coventry primary schools gathered at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School and planted more than 300 trees.
Once grown the area, behind the school’s main playing fields, will become ‘Wiseman Wood’ and will serve as a learning and reflection space for current and future pupils.
Among the species planted are saplings of birch, coppice, apple and cherry trees, as well as holly, hawthorn and wildflower meadows to encourage birds and insects to pass through the school’s grounds.
The day marked 15 years since King Charles III visited the school to plant a lime tree in its grounds to celebrate Earth Day in 2008.
Pupils also had the opportunity to make their own bird feeders from recycled items, while learning about the ecology of plant-life and nature within the school in a carousel of activities.
The event was led by pupils from Cardinal Wiseman’s Eco Club, a group of 12 pupils who meet weekly to discuss eco-friendly changes that can be made around the school, as well as long-term schemes such as Wiseman Wood.
Eco Club member Benita said: “I think it’s great we are able to get involved in these kinds of activities at school as it’s something we should all be thinking about, especially for the younger generation who will be leading climate action into the future.
“Planning and hosting the day has been a really exciting experience, and I hope the younger pupils will take a lot away from it, including in their curriculum learning at school.”
James Elkins, science teacher and Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School’s eco club co-ordinator, said: “We are extremely proud of the eco-learning and green initiatives that we deliver at Cardinal Wiseman, with pupils always at the heart of these activities.
“We are also applying to Eco Schools to hopefully attain Green Flag status for our school.
“We have been ambitious in our long-term goals to ensure pupils have good knowledge of the natural world and the issues facing it, and today has represented a great chance to continue bringing more of the Romero family into the fold.”
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School teacher, Kelly Smith, added for some pupils, this was their third eco day, adding they had learnt so much and their enthusiasm was ‘ absolutely amazing’.
“They are really keen to learn about how they can help to save the planet.”
“The day has given us plenty of ideas for exciting projects and activities to bring back and implement at our own school, and it’s been brilliant to be involved.”
Jonathan Ensell, the founder of Roots to Fruit Midlands, a horticulture education programme, was also involved and said he had not seen anything close to this scale in an education setting.
“The features they have created today will provide multiple generations of learners with incredible opportunities to learn about the natural world.”
