Last updated 16:38, Wednesday, 24 September 2008

DEN MATES: Junior Neighbourhood Wardens from different schools.

A WILDLIFE haven which was once a piece of derelict land is proving to be a fantastic outdoor classroom for young nature lovers.
Birds, bugs and trees were the focus of the exciting first educational workshops at Barrow’s newly christened Green Heart Den.
The community garden near Marsh Street had been an area blighted by fly tipping, drug abuse and under-aged drinking. But residents cleaned it up and developed the land into an urban oasis.
At the end of the summer holidays Cumbria Wildlife Trust led the first environmental activity days at the garden.
The first pupils were the enthusiastic Junior Neighbourhood Wardens. The wardens are nine to 11 year olds who represent Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management Team.
The youngsters are pupils from Greengate Junior School, St George’s CE Primary School, St James’ CE Junior School, and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School.
They take part in a range of community and environmental activities.
Their latest project involved working with Susanne Lloyd-Jones from Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
The wardens learnt about birds and how to make bird feeders. The children also found out about trees before getting up close to the creatures that call the Green Heart Den home.
Junior warden Rebecca Henry, a pupil of Greengate Juniors, said: “We found slow worms and spiders. There is a lot of wildlife in the garden.
“We had to find trees and name them and we did sketches and bark rubbings.
“We (the junior wardens) are always doing fun activities. We like helping the community.”
Fellow junior warden and school mate Lucy Bromley, said: “We can look at the different bugs and the different plants at the Green Heart Den.
“The slow worms were under the slate in the nature part of the garden. You can pick them up and look at them then put them back under the slate.”
Funding for the project came from the Our Green Spaces scheme, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Friends of the Lake District and Voluntary Action.
Graham Bromley, one of the Marsh Street residents who helped lead the transformation of the garden, said: “This was a bit of a pilot project with Cumbria Wildlife Trust and it went very well. The children enjoyed it.
“It’s a great way for children to learn about the history of the site and the environment. It creates that idea of ownership.”
Mr Bromley said he hopes this is the first of many workshops at The Green Heart Den.
Mr Bromley said the wardens and others may also be interested to see the bats that live in the old railways arches at the garden. The arches are also due to be developed as part of the project.
Helen Wiggan, Senior Neighbourhood Warden from Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management Team, said: “It’s all about the children looking after the environment and getting them involved and being aware of their community.
“It’s nice for the junior wardens to meet and work with children from other schools.”
The Junior Neighbourhood Warden scheme started last autumn with 28 children.
This term the Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management Team were looking for more recruits as some of the original wardens have moved on to secondary school.
Colin Smith, the headteacher at Greengate Junior School, said the Green Heart Den is a wonderful area and the junior wardens have carried out fantastic work there and in other parts of the community.
Of the wardens, Mr Smith said: “It’s a brilliant scheme. It encourages children to take responsibility for their environment and work cooperatively for the good of the community.”