Wildlife farm created for pupils

Jun 4 2009 by Barry Ellams, Chester Chronicle

SCHOOLCHILDREN will be able to visit a ‘wildlife farm’ for the first time after Cheshire Wildlife Trust made barns at its Bickley Hall Farm HQ suitable for educational activities.

Pupils of neighbouring schools have been invited to visit the farm to learn about wildlife in an outdoor context as part of their Key Stage 1 and 2 studies.

Bookings are flooding in since the Trust prepared the barns for educational use, with the first visit scheduled to take place on June 9 from Hartford Manor Primary School. On some occasions up to 80 pupils are expected per visit.

“We are very excited to now be able to host school visits at Bickley Hall Farm,” said Jan Shone of the Trust.

“We have an amazing wildlife site here, which is also a working farm, and we have been looking forward to the day when we can welcome youngsters here to let them get ‘hands on’ with the natural environment as part of their curriculum studies in science, geography, art and other subjects. We are hoping to bring their syllabus alive and inspire these potential future conservationists!”

The Trust moved its HQ to the farm in 2006 and has been working to set up the garden, farmland and other facilities.

For further information, visit www. cheshirewildlifetrust.co.uk or call 01948 820728.