Students from Nine Mile Ride primary school’s climate group enjoyed a hands-on ecology experience with Wokingham Borough Council and David Wilson Homes at its Finchwood Park development this week, taking part in the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch campaign.
Duncan Fisher, an ecologist and green infrastructure manager at Wokingham Borough Council, helped the students to learn about the birds most commonly spotted in Finchampstead, such as Red Kites, Redwings and Herons.
Students used bespoke resources and binoculars provided by David Wilson Homes to support their wildlife quest across the 140-acre greenspaces at the Finchwood Park development.
The event was organised to mark the RSPB’s Big Schools Birdwatch’, an annual campaign that encourages children to count the number of birds local to their schools to support the charity in tracking population numbers across the country.
The activity forms part of the housebuilder’s ongoing commitment to ecology, which has seen David Wilson Homes work with community groups and schools to learn more about the local environment and ways to support it.
Alex Dowling, sales and marketing director at Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties, said: “Wokingham is home to a range of wildlife, and it is a privilege to enjoy such a rich variety of nature right on our doorstep.
“It was fantastic to invite the Nine Mile Ride students to our Finchwood Park development, where they were able make use of its vast greenspaces to discover such wildlife firsthand. We hope they continue to use their newfound birdwatching skills to identify species throughout the year.”
Jessica MacDonald, outdoor learning coordinator from Nine Mile Ride School, added: “The students really enjoyed taking part in the campaign and learning about local wildlife, particularly as our chosen climate group for the school.
“The group meet weekly, compiling agendas on ways to help climate change and have since mapped green spaces, planted flowers and made bird feeders – so this activity was perfect for them!
“We encourage pupils to connect with nature and develop their knowledge of the natural world through our Outdoor Learning sessions, so we are grateful to David Wilson Homes and Duncan for bringing this to life outside of the classroom in such an engaging way.”
Duncan Fisher, green infrastructure manager at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “Finchwood Park provided the perfect backdrop for children to get up close to nature and local wildlife, with meadows, woodlands and ponds to explore.
“We were able to see a range of bird species in the area, and it was great to see the children’s joy at being out spotting birds and other wildlife.”
