Natural Futures Project

Natural Futures Project

As part of the Blackdown Hills Natural Futures (BHNF) project, local primary school children have been taking part in environmental education sessions involving pond dipping, moth identification, bird box and bat box making, and mini ‘bioblitz’ events.

Class 2 went out into the field and looked at the different plants and animals that lived in our local environment. The day started with the children looking for different colours and textures that they could find on the field. The children then did a Bio Blitz which involved tallying up all of the wildlife that we could find. There were hundreds of different types of plants and animals on the field and a range of  different species.

To mark the culmination of this project, artist Monica Shanta Brown from Daisi (Devon Arts in Schools Initiative) worked with the schools to produce artworks reflecting what they have learnt about local wildlife. Our children made prints of different plants that grow around the Black Down Hills, using rollers and ink. Some of these have been combined into striking large-scale art panels which will be on show at an exhibition.

The final pieces of artwork can be seen at https://blackdownhillsnaturalfutures.org/news/natural-futures-school-art-exhibition