Parkside Community School in Sturry were treated to
games and minbeast hunting at Whitehall Meadows Local Nature Reserve in
Canterbury last week. The event was organised by The Kentish Stour
Countryside Project as part of National Local Nature Reserve Week,
designed to get people out to their Local Nature Reserve.
The whole school came out one class at a time, with some
of the older children walking the 1-hour trek along the river. Once they
got to Whitehall Meadows they used nets, trays and bug pots to help them
examine the variety of invertebrates found in the area. They also played
games based on what they had seen and learnt, and to help them understand
their local environment.
Whitehall Meadows, just along the River Stour from the
Westgate Gardens, is a wet meadow important for summer plants and
invertebrates, and winter feeding birds. Wet meadows have all but
disappeared along the Stour making this area special in terms of its
habitat and landscape value.
Mary Lovick, Greenspace Officer at the Kentish Stour
Countryside Project said "all the children seemed to have a great
time. They told me all about wildlife in their gardens and some of the
things they had seen on their walk to the Meadow. It is so important to
get kids out of the classroom, it helps them recharge their batteries and
to become more aware of their environment."
