School children go wild at Dersingham Bog
12 January 2010
Primary school pupils from West Norfolk recently took part in a pilot project aimed at getting school children more involved in the natural environment by visiting their local nature reserve.
Run by professional photographer and lecturer, Nigel Downer, on behalf of Natural England, the children explored Dersingham National Nature Reserve for fungi, mosses, butterflies and beetles. The children aged 7 to 10 years from Snettisham and St Georges Primary Schools used photographs and factsheets to identify plants and animals they were likely to find then took photographs of their own of the smaller species that exist there, such as the rainbow coloured Rhododendron leaf-hopper, lichen and galls.
“The galls are caused by tiny wasps about one to four millimeters in size. The galls mature in September and detach and fall to the ground before the leaves. The larvae continue to develop over winter and emerge as adult wasps in early spring to lay their eggs in oak buds.” explains Nigel, whose own interest in natural history began at the age of seven when on a school trip.
“The reserve offers such diversity, from woodlands to bog, so there’s a lot to see and photograph. Each area attracts different plants and animals so the children can experience and learn about something new at each visit” said Ash Murray, Site Manager.
Dersingham forms part of what was once a vast heath stretching the entire length of the north west Norfolk Greensand escarpment from King’s Lynn to Heacham. The low-lying parts of the reserve are waterlogged for most of the year and contain the largest example of this habitat in East Anglia.
“All the children very much enjoyed the day, despite the wet weather. It was fantastic to observe how much the children learned – the benefit of being outdoors and having practical first-hand experience and observation and being guided by such an excellent practitioner with superb knowledge” said Karen Taylor, Head Teacher at Snettisham Primary.
Following the success of the pilot more visits are planned for next year contributing to the One Million Children Outdoors programme, which aims to encourage more children to visit places such as nature reserves and environmentally friendly farms. Only 24% of children said they visit a patch of nature near their home on a weekly basis, compared with 53% of adults who visited a local nature patch weekly when they were young.
A photographic competition for the schools will take place during the spring 2010. Details of the competition and how to enter will be announced by the participating schools in the coming months.
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Notes for editors:
Photograph:
Rhododendron Leaf Hopper courtesy of Nigel Downer
Further photographs available on request.
For further information contact:
Linzee Kottman on 0300 060 2058/07824475359 linzee.j.kottman@naturalengland.org.uk or
Heather Duncan on 07970 228388. heather.duncan@naturalengland.org.uk
Out of hours 07970 098005.
About Natural England
Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
We establish and care for England’s main wildlife sites, ensuring that over 3,500 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.
We run England’s Environmental Stewardship green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.
We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats. We have recently committed £6m to develop wetland areas and have detailed biodiversity action plans covering 75% of England’s species
We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.
