Insect Hotel – Materials Wanted

The Wildlife Trust will be visiting the school, on Wednesday 25th September, to work with the children to build an Insect Hotel for our Learning Garden.

Insect Hotel

The main structure of the hotel will be made from 4 or 5 pallets which need to be of the same size. If you think you can source some, please let us know asap. We have also been given a list of materials which we need to collect before the day:

48 bricks – of the same size.
About 10 stones of roughly same size as bricks or smaller.
Lots of pine cones
Lots of interesting and colourful old/chipped crockery – especially cups, saucers
Old small terracotta pots, can be broken
Large bin liner of Straw
Large bin liner of damp leaves
Small straight -ish sticks – lots
Bamboo canes – lots (at least 30 x 6ft canes)
Old roofing slates (enough to cover a pallet) or roofing felt and tacs
Small stones/decorative gravel – the more interesting the better
Shells
About 10 logs about 8- 10cm diameter and up to 1ft long
Lengths of old piping –of not more than 10cm diameter and cut into 0.5ft lengths, – about 10-12. (The piping and logs need to be able to fit into the sides of the pallets so diameter is dependent on size of pallets). Drainpipe – sections 6”/15cm – is suitable.
Piping of different diameters to fit into larger pipe.
Hazel (or other) coppiced poles.

If you can help with providing some of these materials, please get in touch asap. (In school or by leaving a message on this post)

Each child may also bring in something precious/decorative to put on the top such as unusual natural objects such as feathers, stones, fossils, etc.

Bird Bonanza at Ogston Reservoir!

Well done to the children (and adults!) who managed to get up early to take part in this morning’s  bird watching session at Ogston Reservoir. Children kept a record of the birds they could identify on their bird spotting sheets.  In total, we managed to spot 24 different species:

Coot, Moorhen, Cormorant, Canada Goose, Black-headed Gull, Little Grebe (Dab Chick), Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Mallard, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Tree Sparrow, Dunnock, Reed Bunting, Nuthatch,Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Magpie and Goldcrest.

What an eagle-eyed lot you are!

Can you remember what these birds are called?

The next bird watching session will be from 8.00 am to 8.50 am on Thursday 22nd November. Please confirm if you wish to attend as we do need to restrict numbers.

We would like to thank Ogston Bird Club for allowing us to use their bird hides. A special mention must go to Mr Mike Swain for topping up the bird feeders before we arrived; this allowed us to see many birds close up in addition to those out on the reservoir. If you are interested in joining Ogston Bird Club, you can download a membership application form from their web site. An annual family membership only costs £12 (memberships purchased now, run through to the end of next year).