Year 1 and Year 2 pupils at Bempton Primary School helped give nature a home at their local nature reserve.
RSPB Bempton Cliffs invited the children to lend a hand planting 100 aspen and 100 hawthorn saplings to help create and maintain boundary lines, along with a number of gorse and honeysuckle shrubs to enhance existing areas of greenery.
17 local school children braved the elements on a cold but sunny day to help the Warden, staff and volunteers dig holes, plant trees, hammer in supports and put protective sleeves over the saplings.
Dave O’Hara, Site Manager, said:
‘The youngsters were incredibly enthusiastic despite the freezing temperature. The trees and shrubs will provide valuable shelter and food for wildlife on the reserve. We’d like to say a big thank you for their help.’
The funding for the trees came from East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Year of Green Action Community Fund. This was set up to support the UK Government’s Year of Green Action 2019 that aims to connect people with nature and show how we can all take positive action to improve the environment on our doorstep.
Jackie Jewitt, the school’s Business Manager, felt the children gained a lot from such experiences:
‘It’s important for youngsters to appreciate the importance of the environment and how they can play a part in preserving it for the future. By forging connections like this with nature, their understanding increases and hopefully, their commitment to protecting it’.
Jess, who planted the final tree in her section, said:
‘When I’m grown up, this tree will still be growing here. That’s amazing’.
Trees are vital in nature on many levels: they help combat climate change, encourage wildlife, create shade and shelter for livestock and help prevent flooding