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Information for Eco Schools from www.wildlife-garden.co.uk

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Out and About package from the RSPB

Two years ago the government launched its Learnng Outside the Classroom manifesto, designed to encourage schools to give all school children the chance to experience the environment around them and in so doing, stimulate learning and encourage self-discovery and development.

Now the RSPB has launched its Out and About package aimed at helping schools to organise effective and safe outside sessions with quality service providers.

The service includes a quality badge for service providers. This includes their own ‘Living Classrooms’, a field teaching scheme.

The badge will help schools and local authorities identify quality and safe service providers and the RSPB says it is well underway in ensuring that all of its own Living Classrooms facilities receive the badge.

Ofsted has recently reported that good quality outside the classroom learning sessions raised standards of learnng and improved children’s social and emotional development.

For more information visit the Learning Outside the Classroom website:

www.lotc.org.uk

and the RSPB’s school visits website:

www.rspb.org.uk/school_visits

January 18th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

RSPB Big Schools Birdwatch 19th-30th January 2009

Amazingly, thousands of schoolchildren will want to keep quiet in classrooms this month to spy on some special neighbours.

Classrooms will be turned into bird hides, binoculars will be fixed to eyes and children will be staring out of windows. Why? To take part in the world’s biggest bird survey, the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch.

Running from 19-30 January 2009, the survey encourages children and their teachers to look for and count the birds that share their school environment.

Last year, almost 50,000 children and teachers from 1,500 schools took part, revealing the starling as the most common visitor to school grounds. Over 64,000 birds were counted from 60 different species, ranging from house sparrows and blue tits to siskins and kestrels.

‘The activity is suitable for children of all ages and it also appeals to teachers because it’s fun, easy and simple to set up’

Laura Osborne, RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch project manager, said: ‘The Big Schools’ Birdwatch provides an opportunity for thousands of children to join in and discover more about the birds visiting their schools. The activity is suitable for children of all ages and it also appeals to teachers because it’s fun, easy and simple to set up.’

A host of curriculum-linked learning flows from the survey. Some schools make the activity the centrepiece of a whole week devoted to learning about wild birds. Other schools hold birdwatch breakfasts and after school wildlife clubs.

All you need to do to take part is watch and count the birds in your school grounds for one hour, then send one set of results back to the RSPB detailing what you saw. All the results are then put together to create an overview of which birds are making the most of school grounds across the UK.

Laura added: ‘Whether you’ve seen several common birds or a few exotic species, it doesn’t matter – all sightings are useful to us! This year, our online results form can be used as a fun data-handling class activity allowing you to build your choice of graphs and charts using your results.’

No birdwatching expertise is necessary for teachers, helpers or children and the RSPB has produced a free schools pack containing everything a teacher will need. The emphasis is on having fun and joining in. The pack includes guidance notes, a full colour bird identification poster, counting chart and survey form.

For further information about Big Schools’ Birdwatch, visit the RSPB website www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch or ring 0300 456 8340 (calls charged at standard rate) for a free teachers’ pack. The hotline number will be operational until 28 January 2009.

January 18th, 2009 | Category: Schools | Leave a comment

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

This year is the 30th anniversary of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. It takes place on the weekend of 24th to 25th January 2009.

The Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s biggest bird survey, providing us with a vital snapshot of the UK’s birds each winter.

Here are three reasons why you should help the RSPB celebrate their 30th birthday over the weekend of 24-25th January:

Reason 1: It’s fun

And you just never know what you’re going to see! Spend time with friends, family and children put out some food in the garden and enjoy yourself.

Reason 2: It’s easy

Was there ever a better excuse to stay in your armchair and stare out the window, than to say you’re just counting the birds in your garden? In fact, you’re likely to see more birds if you don’t go into the garden and disturb them.

For the last 30 years, the way the RSPB has done the survey has remained exactly the same – encouraging people to just watch the birds in your garden for an hour and record the maximum number of each species you see at one time.

You really don’t need to be an expert to take part. Whether you’re young or old, an ‘expert’ or a beginner, there really is no better place to start than our Big Garden Birdwatch.

Get yourself a cup of tea, something yummy to eat, put your feet up and enjoy watching the feathered visitors to your garden.

Reason 3: It only takes an hour

You can look at this two ways –

1: by giving up one hour you’re making a real difference to the RSPB’s knowledge of garden birds. They’ve learnt so much over the past 30 years about the birds in our gardens – not least how passionate people are about birds and wildlife.

They now have shedloads of data about house sparrows and starlings, blue tits and blackbirds and, well, probably any garden bird you can name.

This info is invaluable to them because there’s absolutely no way they could get so much of it without the help of all of you.

Their scientists can then use these patterns in bird numbers to help prioritise our bird conservation work. They’ve found that house sparrows, starlings and song thrushes really need our help – we’re seeing fewer every year. Because they now know this, they’re looking into what we can all do to help them.

Or 2: treat yourself to an hour watching the birds in your garden. Go on, give yourself a break and enjoy the wildlife around you. You’ll feel refreshed, relaxed and inspired.

So, at some point over 24-25 January put an hour aside for you and the birds.

You’ll be making a big contribution to conservation, we’ll be really grateful and you’ll feel lovely, warm and fluffy (just like some of those birds).

For more information about the Big Garden Birdwatch, to download a counting sheet or for hints and tips on spotting birds, go to the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch website.

If you would like to order some seed to put out to attract birds to your garden, you can buy it online at the RSPB online shop. You can even save 20% on bird food at the moment when you spend £30.

Why not join the RSPB and help birds and wildlife.

January 16th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Frozen sea and frozen rabbits

Today, for the first time in over a decade, nature conservation bodies are calling on birdwatchers, walkers, anglers and water sports enthusiasts across Britain to minimise disturbance to groups of ducks, geese, swans and wading birds.

On lakes, rivers, wetlands, and coastal areas the birds will be struggling to survive after enduring seven consecutive days of freezing temperatures.

The group making today’s call include the RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and Natural England.

Following a run of mild winters, this is the first time in a decade that this call has been made in England. An appeal in Scotland was issued in 2003.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s conservation director, said: ‘During freezing conditions disturbance forces the birds to squander their precious energy reserves by taking flight when they need to spend as much time as possible feeding.

‘Although we haven’t made this appeal since 1997, we hope everyone who uses the countryside will heed our advice, allowing the millions of birds which visit the UK’s coasts and wetlands during the winter to stand a better chance of survival.’

The birds affected include ducks – including wigeon and pintail – and wading birds, such as godwits, dunlin and knot. These birds either nest in the Arctic, or further north or east in Europe. During the winter the birds visit the UK to escape harsher conditions further north.

Andrew Gouldstone, the RSPB’s Area Conservation Manager for the North West,  said: ‘Even at a time when our climate is warming, we can still expect freezing conditions, but less frequently.  Wildfowl and wading birds respond to these icy blasts by moving further south and west. Mild winters have allowed some of these international travellers to cut short their journeys, with more remaining within the eastern half of Britain.

‘As the natural world responds to the freeze, we can expect the UK’s vital coastal wetlands to play a role in helping these hardy birds survive the winter.  If the freeze continues, we can expect the warmer estuaries on our west coast – such as the Dee, Mersey, Ribble, Morecambe Bay and the Solway - to be especially important as birds escape the weather.  These are amongst our most important wildlife sites.  The winter of 2009 is likely to show just how vital they are to the survival of thousands of water birds.

An article in the Telegraph yesterday reported that the sea around Poole in Dorset had frozen.

They also report that birds are flocking to domestic gardens as the frozen conditions make it difficult to find natural food sources. Increasing numbers of birds such as waxwings, reed buntings, yellowhammers, redpolls, grey wagtails, redwings and fieldfares are being spotted alongside the more common garden species on feeding tables across the country.

The RSPCA also urged pet owners to bring their pets indoors after reports of rabbits and guinea pigs freezing to death.

January 9th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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