A NEW conservation area and wildlife pond has been officially opened at King’s Ely Acremont.
The school’s budding Bill Oddies and Michaela Strachans are in their element using the pond dipping platform to search for tadpoles and water boatmen (all supervised of course!), hunting among the log piles for minibeasts and topping up the bird and insect feeders.
King’s Ely parent Sarah Smith, who is General Manager of the National Trust’s Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, visited King’s Ely Acremont to officially open the new conservation area, which has been lovingly created by the school’s Grounds and Gardens Team.
Mrs Smith gave each class a workshop on how to use the new pond dipping equipment and the children were amazed to see how many tadpoles were in the pond already, and their different stages of metamorphosis.
Head of King’s Ely Acremont, Faye Fenton-Stone, said: “Children have a natural desire for adventure and at King’s Ely Acremont we provide ample opportunities for them to practise and develop their skills, both inside and outside the classroom. Our Grounds and Garden Team has done a wonderful job of creating a conservation area of which we are all very proud and excited to enhance and protect over the coming months and years.”
King’s Ely Acremont also has its own Wildlife Action Club, members of which have been particularly busy helping with the new conservation area as part of the RSPB Love Nature’s Wild Challenge.
As a result of their dedication, five pupils have received their Bronze awards, three have achieved their Silver awards and one pupil has even got his Gold! The Wild Challenge is a free award scheme which encourages children to connect with and learn about nature through a series of fun and engaging activities.