„Winter meals for birds"

 

Implementer: Władysław Stanisław Reymont Primary School in Trzebnice

 

Problem: There was an unmanaged area next to the school. The school did not have a suitable place to conduct outdoor lessons, pupils had no place to go during school breaks and after school, and finally, the town itself did not have a recreational site where families with young children and seniors could rest and enjoy the outdoors. Another issue was the Chocianowskie Forest bicycle trail, a section of which runs through Trzebnice, but lacks any kind of points of interest which could make the area more attractive for outside visitors.

 

Objective: The main objectives were to empower the town community and to provide a quality environmental education experience for children and youth of the Chocianów Municipality.

The particular project goals included:

1. Preparing an area dedicated to carrying out outdoor environmental and nature lessons.

2. Improve the aesthetic appearance of the school, its surroundings and at least 10 farms.

3. Give students the learning tools to be able to set up and take care of their own gardens.

 

Project implementation and results: Project work carried out involved the following:

1. Tidying up and revitalizing an area of approximately 900 m²:

- weeding and fertilising the soil in preparation for new plantings, 

- improving the quality of the existing lawn,

- densely planting cascading shrubs in a 20 m x 4 m area, whose fruit will provide food for birds,

- planting vines at the base of the gymnasium (30 meters long) to create a „green wall",

- building 3 wooden pergolas (each one measuring 3 m in length and 2 m in height),

- installing 10 wooden benches, 1 large board known as the „Bird Alarm Clock" informing when particular birds begin to sing in the morning, as well as 2 smaller information boards and 10 plant ID signs,

- constructing 4 large wooden bird-feeders.

2. Organising a number of competitions, these being: a multi-municipality competition for pupils called „All about birds"; a contest for creating a bird-feeder, directed at parents; a community-wide contest for the most beautiful home garden,

3. Preparation by teachers of learning and teaching materials for outdoor education lessons on the mini-trail.

4. Adding the school garden to the Land of Heather Ecomuseum.

 

The various project activities gave the following results:

- a mini educational trail (30 metres long, 13 areas of interest) which helps children learn more about and look after local birdlife,

- outdoor talks on the trail by forest rangers (twice a year) and ornithologists from the Przekowski Landscape Park (once a year) for all the pupils of Trzebnice Primary School (200), Parchów Primary School (60) and Szklary Dolne Primary School (60),

- Training sessions and nature lessons, integrated learning, activities for pre-schoolers for all the pupils of Trzebnice Primary School (200), Parchów Primary School (60), Chocianów Primary School (100) and Szklary Dolne Primary School (60),

- Children have learnt how to take care of natural areas, look after one another, and understood and appreciated the need to tend plants. Also a nature sanctuary has been created.

- Creating model approaches to looking after green areas and mobilising the local community to enhance the appearance of their home gardens.

 

Project partners:

·         Parents Council

·         Chocianów City Hall and Municipality Office

·         Farmers Wives Association

·         Trzebnice Forestry Office

·         Village Council Office

·         „ Arka" Sport Club

·         Volunteer Fire Brigade in Trzebnice

·         „6,60 Ekostyl" Trade & Services Company from Lubin

·         Drewbud Construction Co., Chocianów

·         Bory Dolnośląskie Landscape Conservation Association

·         Land of Heather Foundation

·         Teachers at the Parchów and Szklary Dolne Primary Schools.

 

Grant amount, other sources of funding: