PUPILS from a Wokingham borough school enjoyed a spell of birdwatching recently thanks to a housebuilder.
The Year 4 youngsters who attend Farley Hill Primary School were invited to Finchwood Park where Duncan Fisher, an ecologist from Wokingham Borough Council, taught the children to identify birds such as Red Kites, Redwings and Herons which are commonly seen at this time of year.
The event was organised to mark RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch campaign, which encourages children to count the number of birds local to their schools to support the organisation in tracking population numbers across the country.
Mr Fisher said: “It’s fantastic to see how much the children enjoyed being outside and getting close to nature and local wildlife. Finchwood Park is made up of a myriad of habitats such as meadows, woodland, hedgerows and ponds, so they’ve had ample opportunities to see and learn about some of the bird species we have in the area.”
The land is part of a project by David Wilson Homes, who provided the children with resources and binoculars to encourage outdoor learning and to connect with nature.
Alex Dowling, sales and marketing director at Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties, said: “We are so lucky to have incredible green spaces available at Finchwood Park and hosting this activity with Farley Hill Primary School and Wokingham Borough Council was a great example of how we can make the most of them.
“The children loved the hands-on experience and we hope they come back to put their newfound birdwatching skills to use.”
And the pupils certainly did have a good time, according to their teacher, Miss Clarke.
“Year 4 really enjoyed the experience and loved being able to work with an ecologist to identify a variety of birds,” she said. “As an active movement school, we love making our learning engaging and memorable. Thank you to David Wilson Homes for organising this event.”
Cllr Ian Shenton, executive member for environment, sport and leisure of Wokingham Borough Council, said: “Finchwood Park is among dozens of nature parks we look after across the borough to protect local wildlife and habitats. They are all free to use and open all year round.
“We encourage everyone to visit and enjoy the nature on their doorstep.”
