Schools in for a tweet with free wildlife project

Last modified: 16 November 2009

Starling perched on wall - Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com, Ref: 2870082_00062_002)

School children in the West Midlands now have a new way of getting closer to birds and wildlife thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The RSPB is behind a project that is offered for free to primary schools in the area and which makes learning about birds and wildlife fun.

Using trained volunteers and staff to help with curriculum linked lessons and activities, schools learn more about the wildlife they can see on their doorstep whilst also finding out how to make their school grounds better for birds.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has granted the project funding for two years. During this time more than 5,800 children from at least 130 primary schools in the West Midlands region will learn about the wildlife around them, which the RSPB hopes will inspire a life-long enthusiasm for nature.

The new project follows on from a pilot project that ran in Birmingham and the Black Country. During its three-year pilot period, Bird Friendly schools staff and volunteers worked with 184 schools in the area.

Rachel Wheeler, the RSPB’s Youth & Education Officer in the Midlands says: “We are absolutely over the moon that the Heritage Lottery Fund has decided to fund this project.

“The project makes it really easy for schools to get their students involved in learning about birds and conservation in a fun and engaging way, and we hope that lots of schools will contact us to find out more about the project.”

All Bird Friendly Schools volunteers bring along a host of exciting activities and free resources for the school and the children, and participation in the programme is completely free of charge.

Primary schools in Birmingham, Solihull, Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent and Coventry are invited to take part in the RSPB’s Bird Friendly Schools programme. The project is supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund and the William Dudley Trust.

Schools in these areas can call the Bird Friendly Schools Project Officer on 0121 616 6850 to find out more about the project and to register.