Feed

We took the train to Irvine Beach to litter pick. This allowed us to develop life skills whilst doing some conservation work.

Todays active learning adventure took place in the medieval buildings and grounds of Provanhall. Working once again with our friends from Glasgow City Councils Countryside Ranger Team we set about creating our very own bird boxes. Senior Countryside Ranger Allison Greig and her Ranger Gavin led the day with Nesting Box Kits, Nails, Hammers and a range of other tools at the ready. Once we had went through our risk assessment and safety checks we were good to go and the hammering began.....

Allison and her team had sourced the materials we needed for our nesting boxes from sustainable sources with reclaimed timber and rubber from old car mats being used. WIth the help of our support we initially put the pieces of the kits together and then positioned our nails setting them in place so as not to split the wood. Teamwork was a big part of this active learning experience and we needed the guidance of our Support Staff and Countryside Rangers to help us through the task. As we worked we talked and listened to each other, helping where we could and making sure that we were on track. We know by now that being busy and actively learning is where we want to be as we travel along our learning journey. The boxes were certainly coming together and our thoughts turned to questions for Ranger Greig and Ranger Gavin and as we asked we discussed and as we discussed we learned.....

The boxes had been constructed with rough edges sanded down, nails neatly hammered into place giving the boxes strength and rubber hinges tacked into place. We had decided to make the boxes accessible to Blue Tits and Great Tits and so the diameter of the access holes had to be slightly different sizes. Weathproofing was our next job and so with a brown waterproof staining we coated our boxes with smooth even strokes. The finished boxes were number to help with future surveys and all that was now left was to find suitable spots for our wildlife friends....

The grounds at Provanhall are beautiful and the sounds of willdlife waking up after a long winter were all around us. As we made our way around the grounds we identified suitable trees and with a marking paint from Ranger Greig we marked the trees that we would use. We had to think about the suitablility of each tree and also the position of the boxes, not to hot from a summer sun and not to cold from a chilling wind or breeze! To learn inside nature is a privilege that as the weeks go by we are recognising more and more. Its great to learn from our Ranger Friends and have examples of what they are talking about right in front of us. Listening and being part of a team helps us in a variety of ways and being part of something that will have a long lasting and profound impact on nature and hopefully our communities is certainly they way that we want to learn. Thanks to Senior Countryside Ranger (Glasgow) Allison Greig and Ranger Gavin as well as the team at the EXCELLENT Provanhall Community Team for making this day happen!!!

Wait 20 minutes. Maybe not 20 minutes but if the photos had been taken an hour previously it would not be of blue sky but horizontal rain. The wind still cut through but not getting soaked was a bonus. Ploughing on with the deturfing, (see what I did there?) the group was a bit short on the ground due to other school commitments, struggled to make substantial progress, so I recruited some senior boys to spend an hour and that has made a significant difference, ready for planting out next week. It is good to engage with the local community who are always keen to know what we are doing, and the group will eventually do some talking to the strangers. We did rescue an amphibian my recognition skills need sorting, could have been a frog but most likely a toad and moved it to a safer location.

Today our Level 4 Group worked with Glasgow Countryside Rangers Linzi and Fiona at the beautiful Pollok Country Park. Our task today dividing and transplanting young wild flowers before deciding where in the park these young plants should grow.