Wigton Moor Wildlife Project

18th March 2024 - It's taken two years... but the local frogs have finally given the allotment pond the seal of approval!

A weekend of wildlife at Wigton Moor's allotment. Filmed 24th to 26th November 2023. Spoiler alert - no hedgehogs!

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have recognised the efforts of Green Council and Gardening Club in making the school grounds better for wildlife - June 2023

Bathtime at the Allotment! 22nd June 2023

The School Garden in June 2023

The allotment in June 2023

The School Garden - Late April 2023

Wildlife Camera - Late November 2022

Wildlife Camera - Early November 2022

Homes for Mammals - 4th November 2022 - We created hedgehog houses as part of the RSPB Wild Challenge, and then left the wildlife camera out to capture anyone moving in!

Making compostariums as part of the RSPB Wildlife Challenge - 14th October 2022

RSPB Wildlife Challenge - Bronze Award

Minibeast hunt for the RSPB Wildlife Challenge

Sparrows visiting the pond - July 2022

The Courtyard in June 2022

The Courtyard - May 2022

The Allotment - May 2022

The Allotment and Pond - May 2022

Planting Up the Wildlife Pond - March 2022

Nestbox for the RSPB Wild Challenge - March 2022

Wildlife Pond Construction - February 2022

Taking part in the Big Schools Birdwatch - January 2022

Checking out the new Pond Liner - November 2021

Building a Bug Hotel at the Allotment - November 2021

The Wildlife Garden in September

The Wildlife Garden in July

Fox at the school allotment - 1st July 2021

Repotting our seedlings with peat-free compost

Before and After - January and June

Shiny beetle photographed by Shanny

Happy World Bee Day!

20th May 2021 - Here is a picture of our female Mason Bee, Bella, sheltering from the cold wet weather in our Mason Bee nest box.

Minibeast Hunt - 11th May 2021

Red Mason Bee (named Bob) found by Arlo in the allotment - 30th April 2021

The hard work continues

We had a lot of work to do, and lots of seeds to sow. Green Council members started the ball rolling, but other people saw us working, and wanted to join in. Wildlife Club began!
We have sown a long list of seeds and lots of butterfly and bee friendly wild flower mixes. We make sure we are only using peat free compost. We have also collected various plants from members of staff who kindly donated them. Because we are attracting pollinators into the Quad, we have also sown vegetable seeds to take advantage of their hard work!
We have been recycling tins from the kitchen to make planters. We have also recycled old trays and storage boxes. Mr Dudley kindly built us a lovely pergola to make a seating area, and Mr Anderson installed a tap and hosepipe to make watering easier.

The current list of plants and seeds in the Quad is as follows:
Alliums
Amelanchier
Apple trees
Beetroot
Buddleia
Bugle
Carrots
Catmint
Chard
Chives
Clematis
Crabapple trees
Crocosmia
Daffodils
Dogwood
Forget me not
Godetia
Grape Hyacinth
Herb Robert
Honesty
Honeysuckle
Iris
Ivy leaf Toadflax
Lady’s Mantle
Lavendar
Liatris
Marigold
Nasturtium
Onions
Phacelia
Phlox
Purple Toadflax
Rowan
Sedum
Selfheal
Snowdrops
Sprouts
Sweet peas
Sunflowers
Winter honeysuckle

Butterfly seed balls containing Purple Loosestrife, Forget-me-not, Musk mallow, Red campion and Yarrow
Bee seed balls containing Birdsfoot Trefoil, Foxglove, Red Clover, Viper’s Bugloss and Wild Marjoram

15th March 2021 - All hands on deck!

Can we make space for wildlife?

During lockdown in early 2021, Green Council kept in touch through DB Primary. One of the things we discussed was whether we could turn the Quad area into a Wildlife Garden. Green Council's wishlist for this area was as follows:

Flowering plants for bees and butterflies
Bee watering station
Bee hive
Bird bath
Bird feeders
Rainwater collection - water butt?
Shade for slugs and bees
Bug hotel
Pond or lake
Logs for woodlice and other insects
Compost bin
Ivy
Fruit trees
A feeding station and a birdbox
Tomato and Strawberry plants
Potatoes
Blackberries or raspberries
Buddleia and lavender

Could we make this work?