Embracing Autumn in the Brecks
Our quick guide for enjoying autumn to the fullest in the Norfolk and Suffolk Brecks. More
Twenty children, from three different Thetford schools, spent a day learning about plants at Howard Nurseries in Wortham. There is a limit to what you can learn in the classroom, especially if you struggle with reading or focus. That’s why it’s so essential for school children of all ages to have some practical, hands-on lessons.
The team at BFER have been working with garden designer, Mia Witham in schools across Thetford to install rainwater planters and learn about the importance of soil and plants in the water-cycle. Some of this work has been classroom-based but, naturally, there has been a large practical element involved. Teachers have often commented on the difference they noticed in some children who normally struggle to focus or engage with classroom work, who really came alive when digging, or planting, or working outside. So, Mia arranged a special trip out to Howard Nurseries to take this learning even further.
The children involved were aged 7 – 9 and came from Drake Primary, Bishops Primary Academy and Norwich Road Academy. The children received a warm welcome from nursery owner, Christine and her staff before embarking on a guided tour of the Nursery and greenhouses, where they were introduced to various plant species and seedlings. Through hands-on workshops, the children learned about growth cycles, plant care, eco-friendly practices and aphids!
A teacher from Bishops explained how much of an influence the trip, and this project as a whole, had on one child in particular in her class,
“He hadn’t found his voice and wouldn’t speak up at all in class until this project started, then one day, when we said we were going outside to do some planting, he said ‘hey, we need to pick the litter up first’ and was more engaged than we’d ever seen before. Now, he doesn’t stop asking questions and being involved with the project. This really is his thing.”
We love to hear about the affect nature and the environment can have on anyone, especially when we can encourage the love of it from an early age. We hope this trip not only provided children with hands-on learning experiences in horticulture, but better environmental awareness too. Howard Nurseries showed the children how to identify different plants and let them plant seedlings into small pots to take home and back to the classroom.
May the plants grow and help the children from the trip share the love of plants and nature with their friends and families!
Here are some things the children have told us about gardening and the trip:
