Gresham’s End of Term Field Day - June 21st 2022

On a hot sunny day, we welcomed six more students from Gresham’s at West Beckham Old Allotments. After a quick introduction to Felbeck Trust and the work that we are carrying out at WBOA, the six youngsters set to with gusto to rake up the grass that had been cut the previous week.

When they had completed the first section they were rewarded with doughnuts and a drink, which was very welcome in the heat. The group then headed down the road to West Beckham Green, armed with saws and loppers. In the welcome shade of the woodland there, we sawed up the remains of the trees that had fallen in the winter storms and created two log piles to provide food and shelter for a range of invertebrates and fungi.

We discussed the importance of invertebrates in the food chain, as well as how fungi break down wood. Lunch back at WBOA was followed by another session of raking and refilling the pond that had been made by a previous group from Gresham’s. We ended the day constructing bird boxes, which the boys took back to Gresham’s, to be put up in the woods there.

A big thank you to the students – Alfie, Archie, Cameron, David, James and Mathew – as well as to their support teacher Lenny, and to the volunteers and trustees who gave their time to support the group.