January 2018
At our last meeting in December we set up an Eco-Committee because we want St Mary the Virgin School to be an Eco-School. This means we have to conserve, be sustainable and care for our school and church environment. We have our wildlife club, forest school activities and a gardening club – so we are already on the way there! We all wrote down ideas for a St Mary the Virgin Eco-Code and then put them together to make our code
Our 10th of January meeting of 2018 had an activity to observe all the living colours in our school grounds. We could collect small samples and stick them onto cards. Mrs Rowberry challenged us by giving each of our groups a colour from the rainbow and asking us to find samples of just that colour. At the end we found that we could put all our sample cards together and we saw that all the colours of our environment made a rainbow! It was really amazing.
December 2017
On the 6th of December our Wildlife Explorers club had a litter pick around school. We organised into five teams of 3 people. Each team was led by a young leader. We had tabards to show that we were litter pick volunteers and recyclable composting sacks to collect rubbish. Our routes took us all around the playground, front of school, car park and up the path to St Mary the Virgin Church. The worst bit was around the bins in the car park ; where shredded paper had blown everywhere. We collected a lot of it but couldn’t get it all.
Last year the Explorers collected 12 kilos of litter. This year we collected less – just 5 Kilos, this was a big improvement but we think it would be great if we couldn’t find any litter at all!
Wildlife Explorers Young Leaders team.
November 2017
Wednesday 29th November 2017
Club members were asked to do some wild writing as part of their RSPB Challenge award.
One question they were asked was “Why do you like the Wildlife Explorers Club?”
Here are some of their responses.
Francesca: I enjoyed making badges and planting flowers in the old pirate ship. The scavenger hunt was fun and it was great making bird houses too….. in fact I enjoy everything.
Eleanor: I enjoyed making the bird houses especially.
Tia: I enjoyed receiving my Blue Peter green badge. On the nature scavenger hunt we found: spider webs ( which means spiders), animal footprints,flowers and fruits.
Daisy: I liked making badges because they tell people I am a member of the Wildlife Club.
Elouise: I loved making a better bug hotel because its for creatures that are small and when it’s raining they can have a shelter.
Seren: I had to find some leaves from the playground and find different colours. I stapled them to card to make a collage. It was good fun.
Brooke: I got all the plants ready for people to plant. I helped them use spades and forks to dig holes to put them in.
William: I like going out to the Briars Lodge Field Centre because we can see lots of wildlife there.
Edward: I like looking at wildlife.
Scarlett: Like the other leaders I enjoy being trained up to help other club members.
Wednesday 15th November – Today Wildlife Explorers were Nature Detectives! We searched at the front of the school. Along the wayside and hedgerows to find: insects, fruits, leaves and fungi. We saw pigeons and blckbirds flying over us and found hazel nuts chewed by squirrels. It was good fun and we all got a prize.
Wednesday 8th November – This week we planted up the old pirate ship in the community garden. (Mrs Rowberry says it is a great way to reuse things). Our wildlife explorers group planted all sorts of flowers including ivy to spread down the sides, heather and pansies for colour. The leaders this week were Brooke, who took photos and myself who wrote the notes.
Scarlett Blemings
October 2017
The Wildlife Explorers group searched through the school grounds this week. They were looking for the very best fallen coloured Autumn leaves.
With help from the Young Leaders they made displays of their favourite colours to show how our environment is getting ready for winter.”
Wednesday 11th of October was the United Nations ‘International Day of the Girl’. On this day girls are encouraged to become leaders in their communities. At St Marys four girls from Lilac Class: Brooke,Eleanor,Seren and Scarlett ran the Wildlife Explorers club instead of Mr and Mrs Rowberry. Well done our girls! ”
Below is a certificate they got for being leaders.
Wildlife Explorers making badges
The Explorers Club have been hard at work making badges. The badges are spreading the message – Help Nature and come along to our Wildlife Club!”
September 2017
Wildlife explorers started the new Club term with the school bug hotel make over. It is now slimmer and tidier. All woodlice, beetles, earwigs, spiders and ladybirds have some great new compartments to shelter in! The children organised the refurbishment with some great design ideas. Well done Wildlife Explorers!