Green Spaces Project gets off to a positive start
The University of Southampton is currently collaborating with Southampton City Council and SO18 Big Local on a project aimed at getting children active by encouraging them to go outdoors and learn more about their local environment.
The project is headed by Professor Marcus Grace, University of Southampton, Lindsay McCulloch, Planning Ecologist at Southampton City Council, and Jo Proctor from SO18 Big Local.
Ian Bailey Environmental Education Officer at Southampton City Council, based at the Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre, has worked with Year 4 and 5 pupils at a local primary school to show them the amazing wildlife Southampton has to offer. His incredible sessions at Frogs Copse inspired local children and teachers to venture outdoors and explore their local environment.
As part of the project, to inspire the local community to get outdoors this summer, the Green Space Project team invites local residents to join him for activity mornings held at Frogs Copse (near Townhill Park) and enjoy the wildlife Southampton has to offer.
The first of these sessions on the 23rd of July was a huge success with a range of wildlife themed activities being run by representatives from Youth Options, Learning Through Sport, SO18 Big Local, Southampton City Council and the University of Southampton. Feedback from parents and children was positive, with some stating that although they lived locally were not aware of Frogs Copse until they attended the activity.
The project will continue to run until mid-September to study the impact the sessions have had on the children’s attitudes to their local environment and the effects this has had on their health and wellbeing. It is hoped that the findings will become part of the decision-making within the council. Professor Grace commented, "We hope to prove that this approach to learning about wildlife and at the same time improving children’s health and wellbeing really works, so that we can go to potential funders to expand the project across the city."
Further sessions will be held on the following dates throughout the summer holidays:
Monday 6th August - Bees & Butterflies
Monday 13th August - Remarkable Reptiles
Monday 20th August - Plants & Trees
Please download the flyer below for more information.