Water company dips in to aid project (From Salisbury Journal)

Water company dips in to aid project

2:00pm Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News

FORDINGBRIDGE Junior School pupils have received £200 towards pond dipping equipment for their new outdoor classroom.

Wessex Water’s Kim Hall met the children and their teachers to present them with the money and a Wessex Watermark Award.

The school pond was created in 2006 and has been looked after by children, staff and parents.

An outdoor classroom has now been built next to the pond.

Headteacher Jonathan Hannam said: “The outdoor classroom will be an opportunity for children and teachers to enjoy a new level of environmental awareness on our own doorstep.

“The pond plays an important role in teaching the children about biodiversity and sustainable life cycles. We can only really teach this out of doors, after all what can be more thrilling then watching tadpoles hatch from one’s own pond or observing dragonflies feeding on the wing?

“Our Watermark Award will enable us to provide the children with the necessary pond dipping equipment to monitor and record pond life.”

The Watermark Award provides funds for environmental projects within the Wessex Water area. This month the Wessex Watermarks will have been running for 20 years, in which time it has supported more than 800 environmental initiatives.

All projects are judged by a panel chaired by the Conservation Foundation’s president David Bellamy.