Environmental Education Report

DENSO Manufacturing UK Limited, Telford, England.

Overview

The DENSO Eco Garden contains good examples of habitats suitable for visiting schools.

The main habitats are woodland, grassland and freshwater.

This report looks at each of the main habitats and describes some of the species you can

find there throughout the year. It will also outline activities suitable for visiting educational

groups at Key Stages 1-3. (Children aged 5-14 years).

Key Stage 1 = 5-7 years

Key Stage 2 = 7-11 years

Key Stage 3 = 11-14 years

Habitats in the Eco Garden

Woodland Woodland and scrub cover much of the Eco Garden area. It consists of mixed native and

non-native species.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) Hawthorn is one of the commonest trees in Britain. It grows

quickly in hedges and provides birds and invertebrates with

important sources of food in early spring and autumn. The

alternative name for this species is

May or Whitethorn, after the sugary

white clusters of flowers which

appear in mid May each year. In

historic times it was considered good

luck to place Hawthorn branches

outside houses to ward off evil. The

red berries or Haws have medicinal properties linking to

circulation and heart problems.

Elder (Sambucus nigra) Elder is a medium sized, fast growing tree common in hedgerows

and as an under storey plant in woodlands. The stems contain soft

pith which can be removed in order to make peashooters, whistles

and jewellery from the hollow stems. Please see the woodland

activities section below for more information.

Because of the pithy stems, Elder is no good for burning.

Elder flowers make great champagnes and cordials in June and

the purple berries make excellent syrups, cordials and dyes from

September.

Hazel (Coryllus avellana) Hazel was one of the first species to colonise the UK after the last

Ice Age. It is a good wood for charcoal burning and was a key

material in local cottage industries before the Industrial

Revolution. Hazel can be coppiced or cut every 7-8 years,

producing many small straight poles. These Hazel poles can be

used as walking sticks, fence posts, den building materials and

good, bright firewood.

Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) Rowan is a small, delicate looking tree. It produces sprays of white

flowers in spring which turn into clusters of bright red berries in late

summer. These berries are another important food source for birds

in autumn and winter.

Rowan wood is pale in colour and excellent for carving and

whittling.

Italian alder (Alnus cordata) Italian alder is a non-native species that has been extensively

planted throughout the Eco Garden. It produces large male

and female catkins each year.

Snowberry (Symphoricarpus) Snowberry attracts lots of insects such as bumblebees, honeybees

and hoverflies. It is a fast growing species providing cover for

mammals and nesting birds. The shrub produces white berries

each autumn. These can cause a mild irritation to the skin if

handled, so please wear gloves.

Woodland activities

The Wildlife Trusts have produced lots of free resources to help you get the most out of

your woodland habitat. Please visit our Wildlife Watch pages for games, downloads,

activities and spotters sheets linked to trees. www.wildlifewatch.org.uk

In addition the Woodland Trust has a whole range of tree themed activity ideas with

worksheets for schools at http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/learning-

kids/schools/Pages/stuff-to-do.aspx#.UfZBQNRwbow

Woodland micro trails (Key Stage 2)

Duration: 30 minutes Equipment: Approx. 100 lollipop sticks (available from scrap stores), 8

balls of coloured string/wool.

Small groups of children create trails through the woodland using

lollipop sticks as sign posts and wool marking a route roughly 5 metres

in length.

Micro trails turn pebbles into mountains and a patch of daisies into a

huge rainforest. This is a great activity which gets children closer to the ground, slowing

down and looking closely at woodland wildlife. It will be surprising what they discover.

Journey Sticks (Key Stage 1)

Duration: 1 hour Group size: 15 Equipment: 15 small sticks roughly 30 cm long. Several balls of

brightly coloured wool cut into 30cm lengths.

Each child finds a small stick to decorate as they walk through

the woodland. The group leader leaves piles of brightly

coloured wool at certain points along the trail for the children

to discover. At each point they use the wool to tie a natural

object to their journey sticks. At the end of the trail use the sticks

to describe where they have been and how they felt along the

way.

Leaf snap (Key Stage 1-2)

Duration: 20 minutes Collect 5 or 6 examples of leaves from 5 different species of tree. These leaves can be

laminated if you wish to keep them for a few weeks. Divide the visiting group into teams

and have a race. Which team will be the first to find the matching leaves around the

garden? What similarities and differences can they see in the leaves?

Respect your Elder (Key Stage 1-2)

Duration: 30 minutes to 3 hours Elder is a superbly useful species for environmental activities. The deep red berries make a

rich paint in autumn. Use squares of calico or cotton as canvas for elderberry splodge

painting during September and October, but remember to leave enough berries for the

birds.

Elder Jewellery (Key Stage 1-2)

Duration: 1 hour Cut small stems of elder in winter and snip them into beads of 2cm lengths. Use a small

stick or pin to push out the soft centre of each bead and thread them together to make

friendship bracelets and necklaces.

Tree Measuring (Key Stage 2)

Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour. Follow the link below for activities to find and measure the biggest, oldest and tallest trees

in the woods. It is great for developing maths and problem solving skills.

www.foresteducation.org/images/uploads/Tree_Measuring_1.pdf

Fossil hunting The excavation of the woodland pond has revealed

some interesting geology in the form of limestone from

the Carboniferous era. At this time, Shropshire was

covered in swamps with associated vegetation. The

fossils I found during my visit contained bark impressions

and gingko leaves dating back at least 300 million

years. Visiting groups would greatly enjoy fossil hunting

with links to National Curriculum topics on evolution,

adaptation and extinction at Key Stage 2 and 3.

Resources for fossil studies and identification are available from Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Grassland

Limestone meadows characterise the open spaces in the Eco Garden. The meadow

plants are well established, including at least 30 Bee Orchids and one example of a

Southern Marsh Orchid. There is a wealth of activities suitable for use in the meadows, but

consideration should be given to minimising the disturbance school visits may cause.

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) Bee orchids are notoriously unpredictable plants.

Popping up in places for some years then suddenly

disappearing again. They produce large quantities of

seed that like to establish in patches of free draining,

disturbed ground. Hence some form of light disturbance

of the soil by children running about and scuffing the

ground is to be encouraged in small areas nearby.

In May an erect flower stem produces between 2 and 6 rather spectacular flowers that

open successively until the end of July. The lower flower lip is velvety and mimics the body

of a bee. The scent given off by the flower is similar to a female bee too. Male bees are

attracted to the orchid because they want to mate with what appears to be a female

visiting the flower. In the process they inadvertently pollinate it.

Photograph: Dan Wrench

It is now thought, however, that in England the orchid produces asexually and that the

species of bee that it evolved to attract is not found here. The flowers therefore have a

mechanism of self pollination. Thousands of tiny seeds are produced that can be

scattered long distances by the wind.

Each plant flowers only once and it takes between 5 and 8 years to develop to the point

of flowering. Successful germination depends on the seed developing a symbiotic

relationship with fungal hyphae in the soil, from which they obtain nutrients.

In order to retain the Bee Orchids mowing should be avoided from April until after the

seeds have been dispersed. Fertilizers and fungicides should not be used as this will upset

the relationship between the orchid and the fungal hyphae in the soil.

Wild strawberry (Fragraria vesca) Wild strawberries can be found all over the Eco Garden, even in the

woodland. The fruits are tiny and edible. Wild strawberries are

common on limestone grassland and will spread over wide areas

using runners called stolons.

Lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium) According to some legends, the

Lesser Trefoil is the original shamrock that St Patrick used to

explain the Holy Trinity to the people of Ireland. It is this

plant that is commonly worn in Ireland to commemorate

their Saint’s day.

Common vetch (Vicia sativa)

Common vetch is a member of the pea or legume family.

It releases nectar from black spots under each flower, in

order to attract ants. These ants collect the nectar and

help to pollinate the plant and spread the seeds across a

wide area.

Grassland Activities

Rainbow chips (Key Stage 1-2)

Duration: 20-30 minutes This activity uses coloured paint swatches, or blobs of coloured

modelling clay.

Can the group find matching colours in the grassland? Remember

to only collect tiny fragments of plants and flowers in order to

minimise disturbance to the meadow. Turn the colourful petals into

a collage or natural bookmark by placing strips of double-sided

tape onto bookmark sized strips of card.

Smelly cocktails (Key Stage 1-2)

Duration: 20 minutes Small groups collect different smells from around the meadow and stir them into pots to

make magic potions or “Smelly Cocktails”. Encourage the group to smell different objects

such as soil, leaves, tree bark, stones and grass. Give the cocktails a name and pass them

round at your Smelly Cocktail party!

Butterfly Feeders (Key Stage 1-2) Duration: 20 minutes During the summer butterflies will be seen

flitting through the grassland. To encourage

even more, or for back at school, follow this

link to discover how to make a butterfly

feeder;

http://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/images/activity_sheets/butterfly_feeder_activity_sheet.pdf

Plant study (Key Stage 1-3) Duration: 1hour or more Randomly distribute quadrats across the grassland and carry out a vegetation survey.

Identify the species present and estimate the percentage cover within the quadrat.

Compare quadrats from different areas – is each one the same? Are some plants

dominant in certain areas? How might they be adapted to survive here?

Wetland

There are two ponds in the Eco garden, a large pond in the open meadow and a smaller

woodland pond. Ponds are ideal for studies of lifecycles, food chains, adaptations and

comparisons of animals in and out of the water. Pond dipping activities can be linked to

almost any subject in the curriculum. The best activity is to just look. Everyone who pond

dips for the first time is amazed at the diversity of life to be found. Have a look at gills, legs

and eyes under the microscope – look at how different creatures move, some disco

dance, others slide and ooze along. Consider the mechanics of movement. Be sure to

put what you find into a white tray or container to make the minibeasts easier to see.

Both ponds are full of life including the following invertebrate species:

Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) Dragonflies and damselflies can be seen flying around the

ponds during the summer months. A successful pond dip should

bring up the larvae of Black Tailed Skimmers (Orthetrum

cancellatum), Broad Bodied Chasers (Libellula depressa) and

Azure Blue Damselflies (Coenagrion puella).

More information can be found by visiting this Wildlife Trust link;

www.wildlifetrusts.org/living-landscape/water-wetlands

More information on Dragonflies and Damselflies can be found here;

www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/

Whirligig beetles (Gyrinius substriatus) This small metallic black beetle gets its name form the way it swims

rapidly in circles across the surface of the pond. They are unusual in

that their eyes are divided so that they can see both underwater

and above the surface at the same time. Whirligig beetles are

scavengers, meaning they eat decaying plant and animals.

Greater water boatmen (Notonecta) Greater Water Boatmen are also known as Backswimmers

due to their habit of swimming upside down in the pond.

They belong to a group of minibeasts known as true bugs,

because they have piercing and sucking mouthparts.

Freshwater activities

Pond animal shopping list (Key Stage 1-2) Duration: 30 minutes After talking about the kinds of animals you might find, invite the group to think about

what they want to find out about a particular animal. Give groups a large sheet of sugar

paper with felt pens and ask them to create a shopping list of all the things they want to

find out about each animal (such as; what does it really look like? Where does it live? How

does it move? Breathe? Eat? What colour? Does it have any enemies? Is it an adult?).

Pool all the ideas to make one shopping list and take this out with you. You may not refer

to the list when out but this will have focused the attention of the group.

Pond gazing (Key Stage 1-2) Duration: 15 minutes Before you start dipping, lay everyone on ground by the pond and observe what is

happening. How many animals can you see? What are they doing? How do they move?

Where are they found?

Minibeasts of the Eco Garden

There is a wealth of invertebrate life throughout

the Eco Garden and any activity that gets

groups catching and looking closely at

minibeasts will prove to be exciting and

absorbing. It is possible to spend many hours just

carrying out bug hunts in each of the main

habitats described above.

Please visit this link for instructions on making bug

hunting nets and how to carry out a successful bug hunt;

http://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/activity-sheets

Basic equipment for a bug hunt

8 insect nets or pond dipping nets

8 white trays or white cotton sheets approx. 1m x 1m

Lots of identification guides (Field Studies Council identification keys are available

from Shropshire Wildlife Trust)

20 bug pots, preferably with magnifiers in the lids

20 magnifying glasses

30 paintbrushes for brushing bugs into pots

30 plastic spoons (Pond dipping only)

15 white plastic paint pallets for sorting pond creatures into similar groups

Pencils, paper and clipboards

Try to structure your bug hunts so that groups can compare the animals in woodland,

grassland and freshwater habitat. Look at the colours of minibeasts, how they move and

what they eat. How are they adapted to where they live? Which habitat will contain the

most spiders, beetles or grasshoppers?

All around the woodland pond are large stones. Careful lifting of these stones reveals

beetle larvae, ground beetles and a species of Millipede called a Pill Bug. They look just

like woodlice, but when you tickle them they roll into a ball!

Safety First: Please make sure that you are comfortable with leading safe pond dipping

sessions. Shropshire Wildlife Trust can advise on Risk Assessments and safety procedures.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust staff can also provide:

• Advice for grounds development for wildlife

• Tailor made sessions for pupils – both in the grounds and the classroom

• Talks about the work of the Trust for any audience

• A field guide for trips to reserves

• Professional training for adults

• Planning support

Our ‘Outdoor Education’ brochure is included for your information along with our

resources catalogue. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss any further

requirements.

Author: Sara Bellis, People and Wildlife Officer, Shropshire Wildlife Trust

July 2013

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity number 212744

It is a company registered in England and Wales number 729746

Registered Address 193 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AH

Our members help us to protect Shropshire's wildlife - join today

visit www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk for more information.