Good news from the ponds

Marie has been working with Senan Gardiner, IWT's former Education Officer, getting 2 schools to create wildlife ponds. On Friday, they went to St Ursulas School and below is a photo with pupils from Ms Twomey's Class depositing frogspawn ( from Marie's pond) into their school pond. This group of girls have an impressive knowledge of wildlife, showed us several projects of birds  they carried out  counts in the school yard. Last year we had visited the pond and planted some natives such as bogbean and flag iris. The resident goldfish were re-homed among pupils, leaving a new home for the frogspawn.

They also went to St Saviours NS, where a newly-dug pond (by local IWT volunteers, Leighton and John) has had a few teething problems. They visited 6 classes with the frogspawn, and addressed concerns of some teachers about safety around the pond. By the time they left, both teachers and pupils want the pond, and the frogs!!

New wildlife pond

Over the last two Mondays, a new wildlife pond has been created by IWT local volunteers in conjunction with St. Saviours School, Ballybeg. Leighton Roche, John Hoban and Marie Power worked with Senan and the 4th class pupils of Mr Gough's class to create a wildlife pond in the school grounds. The pond is planted with bogbean, iris and oxygenating hairgrass, and it is hoped will support frogs and newts in time. Water and web of nature classes were carried out with the class to help explain the ecological context for the pond.

Some new planting, as well as biodiversity classes were carried out in St. Ursulas School. The pond created there a few years ago, was populated with goldfish , so these are now removed to another location and native plants - iris and water forget-me-not - were introduced to increase the biodiversity of the pond.

A protective grid is now being sought to prevent accidents. If you know anyone who has one to spare, or who can make one, we would like to hear from you.

Special thanks are due to Leighton and John who did the hard work of digging the pond!

Give it a Swirl Day

Some pictures featuring pupils from
Newtown School, Waterford with
Andrew Fleming from IWT HQ
removing sycamore and gorse from
Fenor Bog as part of Give it a Swirl
Day.