Poetry and mud?
Local school children get creative!
To help with the building and interpretation of the designer bird hide, two groups of local school children, from South Cerney and Cricklade, were asked if they could lend some of their youthful enthusiasm and creative flair to the ALSF project at Cleveland Lakes.
12 year 4s from Ann Edwards School, South Cerney, donned wellies, waterproofs and reflective jackets
( thank you Bardon Aggregates for the loan of these!) and after a mile walk reached the site of the bird hide. This unique structure has a roof which will soar into the sky in wooden spirals, resembling a reed, and made from locally sourced materials such as oak, willow, hazel and earth.
They got very very very muddy ( they had permission from their parents!) helping to create the rammed earth walls by tamping down layers of soil and clay, guided by site supervisor Lloyd Turner and Helen Shackleton, the designer of the hide. By the end of the afternoon, they were covered head to toe in mud, but seemed to have enjoyed themselves. A huge thank you to their teacher sarah Law and the parent helpers who worked extremely hard too!
The following day, a group of 15 Year 3s from St Sampsons School in Cricklade visited Lower Moor Farm nature reserve with local writer and poet Marcus Moore to be inspired by nature. They had been asked to help with creating some poetic thoughts and phrases which will be inscribed on the approach to the bird hide.
With some welcome sunshine and plenty of exciting wildlife, the children had a lovely morning, being stimulated and encouraged by Marcus. They played hide and seek, seeking a bird hide, and with the help of Marcus came up with some really beautiful thoughts and phrases. A huge thank you to the teachers and parents who accompanied the children and we look forward to seeing them again when the bird hide opens and the fruits of their work will be unveiled.
