supporting young 'World Caretakers'
We've been learning all about the trees on the acre with a special day for Year 3 children from Potter's Gate Primary School.
The session for 90 pupils was supporting the national curriculum and the children's role as 'World Caretakers' where they learn about the environment and nature.
Year 3's focus this term is trees. As part of the session, the children broke away into smaller groups to discover and learn about the characteristics of different species on the acre. There was also a fun treasure hunt.
The children had a great day, saying "I liked learning about all the trees. I never knew that people can make baskets out of willow trees."
"Playing tag in the maze was really fun because there were secret places we could go through."
There was great excitement at seeing the hazel gifted by HM Queen Elizabeth II as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations:
'"I didn't know the Queen's tree was real until we got there."
''The Queen's tree is a hazel tree."
"They had the Queen's Tree!"
Earlier this week three of the country's biggest conservation charities launched a nationwide campaign calling on the public to protect our natural environment. Timed to coincide with Sir David Attenborough's new series Wild Isles, the National Trust, WWF and RSPB have joined forces to encourage individuals and communities to take an active role in protecting Britain's wildlife.
The Save Our Wild Isles campaign says we should all "Go Wild Once a Week" by doing things like planting wildlife-friendly flowers in green spaces or getting involved in local community projects.
Thanks to the generous support of local organisations, we're lucky to be able to offer Farnham children a space to do just that!
beavers spotted in the garden
Last week, we had a visit from the Farnham Beavers who came along to find out more about space2grow and have a tour of the acre.
The children planted seeds in glass jars which they decorated with acrylic pens.
They also took part in a nature treasure hunt, which was especially exciting in the dark!
We look forward to seeing the children again soon for another visit.
older kids need space2grow too
It's not just the younger children who've been enjoying our wild garden recently. Life gets a bit harder as we get older, and secondary school can bring new pressures as well as new opportunities.
Our weekly wellbeing intervention sessions for secondary school children offer a change from being in the classroom, which can be a challenge. The garden offers a calm, safe outdoor alternative to small groups who find the school environment overwhelming. Some of the children are neurodiverse and the wellbeing interventions are very much designed around reducing anxiety and making connections with themselves and others, as well as building confidence.
Our team from Farnham Heath End School are making great progress with their recycled bottle greenhouse.
And our group from Weydon School have been busy harvesting and continuing the willow wave to protect our wild flower meadow.
The children also planted sunflowers in the greenhouse, taking advantage of a nearby teapot to water the seeds!
There's also plenty of time for chilling out, some stick throwing with Lola and exploring the maze.
We love seeing young people embark on a new adventure on the acre, trying out different activities, making friends and enjoying the space to "breathe".
According to Learning through Landscapes, outdoor learning improves child development, supports wellbeing, deepens nature connection and promotes more inclusive and engaging learning.
coming soon ...
We'll be sharing news of a project with The Ridgeway School. Our resident Men in Sheds team, in collaboration with Farnham Maltings, were commissioned to make them a glitterball trophy! Watch this space ... 2grow.
reflections from the acre ...
Our reflections this week come from more of the Potter's Gate pupils and teachers who have spent time in the space2grow garden recently. As well as the special tree day for older children, Year 1 have been enjoying learning more about aquatic life with some pond dipping sessions ...
" I loved being allowed to explore; it was such fun."
" I didn't know you could find a snail in the pond."
" Can we come again?"
" I loved it!"
"This is such a wonderful place for the children to learn in. They have the freedom to enjoy nature in a beautiful and safe environment. I would come every day if we could!"
Thank you to all our gardening volunteers for their hard work maintaining our wild space so that we are able to share it with local schools, families and children.
If you would like to share what the acre means to you please email info@space2grow.space - we love hearing everyone's reflections.