School and Community Projects

• Shoreham Primary School

  This project was funded by Old Chalk New Downs and involved the improvement of biodiversity within the schools grounds along with making educational materials for teachers to use. Our volunteer team created an outdoor den that could be used throughout the year for outdoor learning. The den has living walls, bird hide style windows, benches, a table and blackboard. They also created raised beds and planted around the pond and bird feeding areas a range of sensory and wildlife friendly plants and fruit bushes. These plants were chosen to benefit and encourage a range of animal species and to reflect the surrounding chalk grassland plant species.
  Please contact Stephanie for more information.

• Moat Community Garden, Gravesend

  This project was funded by the Moat Foundation with the aim to create a community garden which would allow anyone to grow their own produce whilst also being great for wildlife. Our volunteer team built a variety of raised beds, storage seating and a living herb wall along with installing a pergola, a living willow den, benches and a greenhouse. Sensory and wildlife benefiting plants were selected and planted around the seating areas. The raised beds were started off with a range of herbs, vegetables and fruits, with room for members of the community to begin growing their own.
  Please contact Stephanie for more information.

• Dunton Green Primary School

  We were contacted by Dunton Green Primary School to help them restore and develop their outdoor learning area so they could get their children engaged with nature. Areas had become overgrown with vegetation, the pond was covered in duckweed and the dipping platform needed some tlc. Our volunteer team got to work improving the site. They cleared the duckweed from the pond and discovered a very healthy smooth newt population living there (we counted at least 82) and planted up new aquatic plants. They restored the dipping platform - replacing rotten deck boards and treated the wood before installing a visual rope safety barrier. In the outdoor learning area they cleared away vegetation below eye level and made a seating area with logs for classes to use for forest school activities.
  Please contact Stephanie for more information.

• Sevenoaks Primary School

  Sevenoaks Primary School were keen to get involved in Kent's Year of Green Action and asked us to create an area within their school grounds which could be used for teaching the kids and getting them excited about wildlife. Our volunteer team got stuck in with digging out, shaping and then lining the pond before installing a dipping platform and benches. The children from the school also got involved by helping to plant up the pond with wildlife benefitting plants along with creating areas of bog garden. This new addition to the school should help increase biodiversity in the area by providing a new habitat along with encouraging the children to explore the natural world through pond dipping.
  To read the article written about this project please click on the picture above.

• Community Orchard Thamesmead

  By working in partnership with Peabody; we improved the existing orchard within Thamesmead; by working with a local community group and officers from Peabody we planted over 20 new orchard trees. We have also worked with local schools to help plant hedges and trees within green spaces in the area.

  Please Contact Mary for more information

• Otford Primary

  This project was funded by Old Chalk New Downs and involved the improvement of biodiversity within the schools grounds along with making educational materials for teachers to use. We cleared and improved the school's pond, created a natural trail on site and planted trees and fruiting hedge. We have also created a interpretation board for the children to learn about the different habitats on the school grounds and lead planting sessions.
  Please Contact Mary for more information