All of The Wallace High School’s 170 Year 8 pupils recently spent a day at Greenmount Campus, CAFRE, as part of an exciting new scheme planned to enhance both the school grounds and the pupils’ environmental understanding. Coordinator of the scheme, Kerry McMullan from Wallace’s Environment Committee, explained,”The staff at Greenmount Campus, CAFRE organised a very enjoyable and interactive experience for us.
Our pupils had the opportunity to visit the BBC garden where they were introduced to design concepts, the wildlife pond where they discovered ways of increasing wildlife and the walled garden where they learnt about shrubs and perennials. A tour of the wetlands also increased their understanding of natural sewage systems and a visit to the College Plaza meant they learnt about various types of trees.”
Having learnt a great deal about horticultural and the environment, each pupil has now been given the task of designing a small area of planting in the Clonevin Park Grounds of Wallace High. Kerry went on, “Each pupil now has the opportunity to design a sustainable planting scheme which is based on their House Colour and will have a positive impact on wildlife. We on the Environment Committee are looking forward to seeing the results of the pupils’ efforts.”
Year 8 pupil Connor McClean commented, “Our day exploring the grounds of Greenmount Campus CAFRE was really good fun and I’m hoping that as well as designing a planting area for school I can also put some of the design ideas into practise at home too.”
Claire Woods from Greenmount Campus, CAFRE added, ‘ The Horticulture and Rural and Countryside Management staff at Greenmount Campus CAFRE were delighted to be involved with Wallace High School in this exciting project, giving the Year 8 pupils first hand experience of different environments and introducing them to a range of plants they will be able to use . I hope that a seed may have been sown and an interest started so that all of them will develop a greater awareness of their environment and one or two may even decide to follow a career in horticulture or countryside management . ‘
Last modified: October 16, 2007
