SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS INVITED TO "LIVE ON THE EDGE" OF HEART OF
REEDS
A two part community education programme aimed at involving schools
and local groups in Heart of Reeds, was launched under the heading Living
on the Edge.
'Living on the Edge' Phase 1, which ran from September
2004 - June 2005, offered guided tours, presentations, artists' workshops
and other opportunities to explore the links between art, science and
nature which Heart of Reeds offers. Six local schools and one community
group took part and a mixture of pond-dipping and storytelling activities
was undertaken.
'Living on the Edge' Phase 2 will take place from September
2005 - June 2006 culminating in the launch of a Railway Land Local Nature
Reserve website on 23rd June 2006 that will include the results of further
investigations of Heart of Reeds by local schools. The plan includes:
- A deeper investigation of different aspects of Heart of Reeds (birdlife;
the reeds themselves; and creatures that come into the ponds) by 3 Primary
Schools over the forthcoming academic year.
- The creation of a website that captures the above and many other
aspects of the Railway Land Local Nature Reserve as a whole.
- The presentation of the 'Living on the Edge Phase 2' part of the
website by the pupils themselves, coupled with an illustrated performance
of Heartland, six songs inspired by Heart of Reeds and the Nature Reserve.
- A repeat visit by French participants (adults with learning disabilities)
as part of a continuing exchange process with a Nature Reserve in France
linked to some Citizenship work on inclusion at the local Secondary school.
(see www.riverocean.org.uk/nature-corridors/index.htm)
Education co-ordinator John Parry, chairman of the Railway Land Wildlife
Trust, says that although the budget is small, the goodwill of some key
teachers and groups means that there will be a permanent electronic record
of aspects of Heart of Reeds and the 'Living on the Edge' education programme
that it spawned. An application for external funding has been made by
the Railway Land Wildlife Trust in addition to the £2,000 it has provided
from its own resources.
The likely contents of the emerging website which
can, at present, be viewed at www.llonn.plus.com/LivEdg/
will be:
- Copies of all the newspaper articles relating to Heart of Reeds.
- Lesson plans by pupils based on the work done on reeds, the birds and creatures
that have come into the reed bed.
- A short young person's description of Chris Drury's work and what lay behind it.
- A selection of photos taken by Nicholas Sinclair of the process of building Heart of Reeds.
- One or two of the Heartland songs.
- Video highlights of the 2005 opening of Heart of Reeds.
- Possible TV film of Rodmell Primary School documenting the process of the work they did in 2005 for Heart of Reeds.
- Fixed point photos of the first year of Heart of Reeds taken by English adults with learning disabilities.
For further information about how to be involved, contact John Parry
on jmparry@btinternet.com
