Biodiversity

Celebrate your wildlife

A good place to start is to work out what wildlife you already have on site. Take a walk and get students to identity and label trees with the Woodland Trust’s Tree ID app.

Organise a ‘bioblitz‘ to identify as many plants, insects, animals and birds as you can on site.

Join RSPB’s Big Schools Birdwatch, an annual event that invites students to identify and count the birds they see.

Could you set up a wildlife camera?

Add habitats

Have a think about what habitats you could add to encourage more wildlife into the school grounds.

A pond will add more value to your site than almost anything, as it provides drinking water as well as a habitat for amphibians.

Add log piles, wild patches, bug hotels, bird boxes, hedgehog homes, etc.

Wildlife Gadget Man has tutorials for imaginative bird-feeders made from recycling.

Reduce hazards

As well as providing habitats and food sources, it’s important to minimise hazards for wildlife.

The Wildlife Trust have advice on going chemical-free as part of their Nature Friendly Schools programme.

Take part in No-Mow May to create space for plants and pollinators at the most important time of the year.

Multiply impact by inviting parents to take similar actions at home.

Gardens and trees

Planting trees absorbs carbon, creates habitats, and it provides vital shade in a world that is going to see an increase in heatwaves. There’s no better time than now to plan shade trees into your playgrounds. See the Woodland Trust’s Trees for Schools for advice and support.

Why not plant fruit trees? The Tree Council will help you plan an orchard.

Why not look up lists of bee-friendly plants, or plants that provide food for birds and other wildlife?