Project will help connect young people to nature by improving and adapting school grounds and enhancing the outdoor learning experience.

Prettygate Schools have begun an extensive three-phase project to improve and adapt school grounds, enhance pupils’ outdoor learning experience, and connect young people to nature.

Volunteers and pupils got the project underway by planting 2,158 trees over three days, braving wet and cold conditions. The trees planted were largely hedgerows.

Pupils from Reception through to Year Six were all involved throughout different stages of the project.

The 2,158 trees planted were funded through the Essex Forest Initiative, an ambitious tree planting project from Essex County Council (ECC) that will see 375,000 trees planted in the county between 2019 and 2024.

The initiative is also providing the school with eight orchard trees.

To date, over 150,000 trees have been planted across the Essex Forest Initiative, which includes over 10,000 in Colchester planted by ECC and partners.

Phases two and three of the Prettygate Schools project will see the completion of a new Forest School area complete with a fire pit, wild area, a pond with a pond dipping platform and a wildflower meadow.

The second and third phase are being funded by Essex County Council’s Climate Action Challenge Fund, which provides funding for projects in Essex that work to fight climate change.

41 projects have successfully applied to receive funding, which is part of Essex County Council’s £200 million Climate Action Plan.

The £500,000 fund was made available in 2021, with all funds having now been allocated.

Prettygate Schools are also hosting a ‘Climate Club’ next half term, which is being facilitated by Groundwork East, who were also awarded funding from the Climate Action Challenge Fund to run the clubs.

The schools’ climate activity doesn’t end there as they will also be joined in the summer by the ‘Skinny Jeans Gardener’, who is organising a Garden Design competition at the Mercury Theatre.

The theme of the schools’ garden is ‘to encourage wildlife using recycled materials.’

Essex County Council Climate Czar, Councillor Peter Schwier said: “It’s brilliant to see both the Climate Action Challenge Fund and Essex Forest Initiative working to benefit local Essex residents.

“There has been a lot of thought and planning put into this project from Prettygate Schools and it will be of great benefit to the pupils.”

A spokesperson from Prettygate Schools said: “We are incredibly grateful for all the support and resources that have been made available to us via Essex County Council. Our children are already enjoying an improved site.”

This new infrastructure will be used to promote outdoor learning across the curriculum, as well as the wellbeing benefits of being connected to nature and education on climate change.